


365 Days Together

by lipsomniac



Series: 365 Days Together and Spin-Offs [1]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: A Chapter a Day, F/F, Family Issues, Friendship, Love, Mentions of other girl groups, No Smut, but i don't want to spoil the story so you'll see yourselves, end of teenage years, implicit sex in later chapters, mentions of drinking, new concept, there are other side ships than those listed, they grow up, young adult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 72
Words: 99,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lipsomniac/pseuds/lipsomniac
Summary: A lot can happen within a year. Complete strangers who should have never met can become friends, families can break apart, love stories can start, dreams can change... A year is both a short, and a long period of time.Will you follow these girls' stories, one day at a time?
Relationships: Choi Yerim | Choerry & Im Yeojin, Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin, Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Park Chaewon | Go Won & Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Series: 365 Days Together and Spin-Offs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686439
Comments: 123
Kudos: 430





	1. Friday the 13th

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you'll enjoy this series!  
> Here's a playlist that will be updated everyday, along with the chapters:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5t3bXywv8weoEHPx6HknHY
> 
> It's my very first fic on AO3, so I might be a bit clumsy at first, sorry.  
> Also, English is not my first language plus I make a lot of typos that I don't even notice when I proofread, I'm sorry

* * *

**December 13**

*** HEEJIN'S POV ***

Heejin sat at her desk, looking quite dissatisfied with the drawing she had just finished on her tablet. She could not get the proportions right, and it was so frustrating. She was not used to not being able to draw exactly what she wanted. She had drawn for years, but for some reason, this time, she could not draw that rabbit right. She sighed and stood up. The more she would think about it, and the harder she would try, the uglier she was going to make her drawing. She had to take a break.

She grabbed her phone and decided to head downstairs. Her mother was in the living room, watching some kind of soapy tv show.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked as Heejin came by.

“Yeah, I just need a break.”

“Were you doing homework?” her mother asked with a soft smile.

“No I was drawing on my tablet.”

The forty-something woman smiled wider. The tablet was a gift she and Heejin’s dad have given her for her birthday a few months ago, and she was glad to see that Heejin used it often. They had been scared that she would not like it, but apparently digital art was a thing, and even better: a thing Heejin had wanted to get into for a long time. Her mom did not need to say a thing, her smile said long enough.

The high schooler walked into the kitchen and noticed the advent calendars pinned to the wall. There were three of them: one for herself, a simple one that her parents had brought her from the mall, and two others that she had designed and handmade herself for her parents. In every box, she had folded a paper with kind words written in her best calligraphy and put a piece of chocolate with it. It was her way of showing her parents how much she loved them. She would sometimes tell them out loud or hug them, but it could never hurt to find more creative ways to let them know how much she cared, right?

She grabbed a clean cup next to the sink, set it on the counter behind her, and opened the fridge. As she grabbed the milk, her phone vibrated. She closed the door, laid the milk on the counter and opened her text. It was from Chaewon.

_Chae: Sorry, I forgot about our study session, I’ll be there in 5!_

Little did she know that Heejin had forgotten too. Heejin poured herself a cup of milk and joined her mother in the living room. She sat next to her on the couch, holding her cup with both hands.

“I forgot to tell you, but Chae’s coming over”

“I’m glad. Maybe if Chaewon is there, you’ll do your homework.”

She winked at her daughter. Heejin knew her mom was kidding, although it was a good way to remind her that she had been neglecting school work for a while. But she could never tell her mom what had been keeping her mind busy, so what she usually did was saying she would try harder. Her mom kept talking.

“She’s been coming over often lately. Are you two…?”

Heejin almost choked on her milk. Was her mother implying they could be dating? Her and Chaewon? Hell no. Chae was not her type at all. But then again, her mom had no idea what her type was.

“Dating? No mom, are you out of your mind? Have you seen Chae?”

Her mom shrugged.

“Well, she’s pretty, kind, and polite. That’s what I’ve seen.”

Heejin rolled her eyes. She knew her mom was right.

“You’re right, but she’s my friend.”

A mischievious smile appeared on her mother’s lips.

“I said that about your dad too.”

“MOM! Stop it! I don’t wanna know. And I can’t even imagine going out with Chae, it’s disgusting!” Heejin shrieked.

Just at that moment, the bell rang.

“Talking about the devil…” her mom said.

Heejin drank her milk in one gulp and headed towards the front door, dropping her empty cup in the sink on her way. She opened the door, and her cheeks were burning. Chaewon stepped in and took her shoes off, while looking up at her friend.

“Are you okay Heej? You look a bit… red.”

The only effect it had, was making Heejin blush even more.

“My mom was just being embarrassing seconds before you arrived” she shrugged, trying to cool off.

Instead of heading upstairs, Chae went to the living room.

“Hi Mrs. Jeon! Heejin told me you were embarrassing her? I’m curious about how you managed to do that, I need to try it”

The. Little. Devil. Heejin would have never thought her friend capable of such treason, but she had underestimated how comfortable Chae had started to feel with her parents.

“I was asking Heejin if the two of you were dating” her mother said very naturally.

“Oh right! You wish!” she winked at Heejin’s mom. “But Heejin’s not my type.”

Chaewon was so casual about it that Heejin got jealous. She was not able to be so chill when discussing potential relationships. Maybe because she had something to hide.

“Are you saying my daughter is not good enough for you?” the older woman joked.

“Mrs. Jeon, come on! I love Heejin, but she’s a mess.”

“Hey! That’s not true!” Heejin intervened, and the two others laughed.

Heejin liked seeing her mom and friends have fun with each other, but not at her expense.

“Okay, Chae, let’s go! We have homework to do!” she said, hoping that it would enable her to just escape the situation.

She pulled on Chae’s sleeve, and tried to drag her out of the living room.

“Wait! Chaewon, do you like gujeolpan?” her mother asked suddenly before they left.

“Yes, why?”

“Well, tell your father that you’re staying for dinner.”

“Uh… Okay.”

Chaewon’s smile vanished for a second but she regained composure. Her relationship with her dad was… complicated, at the moment. Heejin led her to her bedroom, and the tiny blonde immediately threw herself on her bed, face first.

“I love your bed, Heej.”

“I know, but it’s mine.”

“I wish I could just sleep there every night” she pouted.

Heejin’s face fell a bit.

“How are things at home?” she asked.

Chaewon looked away, to Heejin’s giant rabbit plushie that stood in the corner of the room.

“Usual. My stepsister is kind of getting worse, honestly.”

She shook her head, as she shook the thought. But Heejin knew her heart was full that she needed to talk about it.

“What did she do, this time?”

“She got mad at her mom because she picked me up from school today. I finished early, and it was pouring rain, so she offered to pick me up. But my stepsister didn’t like it. She literally told her mom that she loved me more than she loved her, and that she had replaced both her dad and her with my dad and me…”

Chaewon’s eyes were starting to tear up. Heejin sat next to her on the bed and hugged her.

“I have never felt more unwelcome before, Heej” her voice cracked, and she started crying for real.

Heejin still hugged her, while rubbing her back in circles. She hated knowing that her friend was so unhappy at home, that every day was a fight. Ever since her dad had remarried, she had been living with her stepmother and her daughter, who clearly was not happy about her mother’s new husband. All of the tensions fell on Chae, who never said anything. And Heejin, could not do anything except for providing her with a safe, happy place when she came over. Which was the reason she always came over. It made it easier for everyone, and Heejin’s parents loved Chaewon and did everything they could to make her comfortable.

“Maybe she got worse because it’s Friday the 13th” Chaewon said, interrupting her crying.

Heejin had never completely understood Chaewon’s superstitions, but she nodded anyway.


	2. B#RN

**December 14**

**HYUNJIN’S POV**

It had been four years since Hyunjin’s dad had died, but it felt like it had happened the day before. She still remembered how he would take her to the bakery every Saturday morning, to “give her strength” before the basketball games she used to have in the afternoon, how he would come to every game and cheer for her and carry her on his shoulder when her team won, even though she had grown up a lot and was getting heavier.

Every Saturday was a painful reminder of the past. She had stopped playing basketball. At first, she had kept going about with her life, probably to convince herself that nothing had changed, in some form of denial. And then, she had realized that whatever she did to keep going would not bring her father back. She quit everything, and never got back to it afterwards.

She had been having a pity party for herself every Saturday since, and she was conscious about it but could not find a way to make it better. It had gotten worse since Jiwoo had started going to university. She still always tried to get news from Hyunjin, to check up on her, but everything was different. Jiwoo was too busy studying, even on the weekends, and since her mother had remarried during the summer, her boyfriend – Hyunjin still refused to call him her ‘husband’ – and his daughter had moved in with them, every weekend was turned into a celebration of being a great family, which Hyunjin hated having to take a part in.

She walked down the stairs, letting her feet trail on the steps, not caring about how much of a hurry her mother could be in. She crossed the corridor and got to the kitchen.

“Finally” her mother said.

Hyunjin glared at her. She had come downstairs, and it was already a huge effort, knowing that she’d rather stay in her room and listen to some music with her headphones on so no one could bother her. The small Barbie Doll that was now her stepsister was already standing next to her mother by the table.

“The choir is having a bake sale.”

Hyunjin furrowed her eyebrows. Was that the reason she had had to leave her room?

“You’d know if you’d joined like I suggested, Hyunjin” she said with a bright smile.

Her mother had been trying to get her to enrol in the choir for months, if not years, and had mistakenly took her raised eyebrows as a sign of interest, when it was in fact a sign of ‘why do I care?’. Hyunjin felt the need to make herself clear.

“I already told you I didn’t care, mom.”

Hyunjin saw her mother’s shoulder stiffen and Barbie Doll’s gaze fall on the floor. Why was she always so discrete? It was frustrating.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Hyunjin” she said that quietly, but Hyunjin could see how tense she really was.

“I wouldn’t if you actually listened to me when I tell you things.”

Hyunjin simply wanted to be listened to. It was not that hard. The more time passed, the less she felt her mother understood her or her feelings. She had not had a say in anything of what had happened when her mother met someone, got engaged, married, made two new people move in. Even when she tried to express her discomfort, she had not been listened to. The others were still there, they seemed happy with the situation and it was unfair because she was not.

Her mom seemed in too much of a hurry to fight with her, so she simply continued.

“I need you and Chaewon to bake a few cakes before I get back home.”

And now, she would have to once again do something she had never called for. She did not want to be in the choir. She did not want to have anything to do with the choir. So why would she help her mother with it when she clearly stated she did not want to? She was about to protest, but Barbie Doll got quicker to talk, for once.

“What kind of cakes to you want us to bake?” she asked.

“Maybe a lava cake, an apple pie and some cookies? Hyunjin, you still remember how to make those, right?” It was not a question, and she did not have time to answer. “You’ll teach Chaewon.”

Teaching Barbie Doll how to bake? Sharing the recipes her dad had taught her with Barbie Doll? Had she heard that correctly? Chaewon must have seen how reluctant Hyunjin looked, because she looked stiff, staring at the floor as if waiting for a blow. Hyunjin was so annoyed that Barbie Doll was scared of her. She had never hit her or even said a bad thing to her, and yet, she always seemed scared, like the brunette was some kind of villain.

Hyunjin did not reply. She would rather not talk to the other girl at all. She had been avoiding saying any word to her as much as possible since she had moved in. Their longest conversations must have been asking each other to pass food across the table. They had spent four months without having a single conversation, and she liked it that way.

“Well, I’ve checked that you have everything you need, so I’ll be on my way. Try not to burn the house down” her mother said, and left.

The two teenage girls were left alone in the kitchen, in an awkward silence.

“I can bake all of that on my own, it’s okay” Hyunjin said.

She was hoping that Barbie Doll would take the bait and go back to her room, so that she could be alone. It would be much quicker baking all the cakes on her own than having to explain the other girl how to.

“Can I at least bake the cookies?” the blonde asked in a tiny voice.

Hyunjin rolled her eyes.

“Yeah sure. Do you know how to?”

“I’ve done it a few times.”

The tiny girl did not look too sure, but Hyunjin did not care. She had better things to do than worrying about the taste of the cookies, after all. She was not going to eat them, and she could not care less about the people from the choir.

“You can take care of the cookies, then. I’ll bake the rest.”

She turned on the oven so it would pre-heat, and she grabbed all she needed for her own cakes. No one around her knew about it, but she loved cooking. Her dad had taught her, and she remembered everything. She used to cook her mother’s and hers birthday meals, or to cook every time they had something to celebrate. At least until she got engaged again. Still, she mixed all the ingredients together like an expert. Barbie Doll, on the other side, looked more hesitant, and Hyunjin sometimes felt the urge to tell her what to do, but would not break the silence between them.

* * *

Barbie Doll was done with her cookies faster than Hyunjin had thought, so she had put them in the oven and left the kitchen, only coming back to check cooked they were. Hyunjin had just put her first cake in the oven when she took her cookies out. They were perfect. Golden on the edges, a lighter color on the center. The black-haired girl could tell those would be good, but she would never tell Barbie Doll.

She watched the blonde take the plate out of the oven and set the cookies to cool down by the kitchen window. She saw the hesitation in her eyes when she looked at them, probably wanting to eat one. But then hesitation turned to fear, and she just left the kitchen without taste-testing any of them.

Hyunjin finished her last cake and put it in the oven too. Then, she grabbed one of Barbie Doll’s cookies, and headed to the living room to watch a drama while her cakes cooked. She tasted the cookie. It was probably the best she had had in a long time.

* * *

She was halfway through her second episode when a weird smell filled her nose. It smelled like burnt. She looked around and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen.

The. Cakes.

She had forgotten the cakes.

“Crap” Hyunjin swore.

She quickly turned off the oven, and opened it. A thick smoke came out of it, and she figured it would be better to open the window. Just when she did, Barbie Doll appeared. Great. Now she would see how much of a mess she’d made. Without making any remark, the blonde girl opened the other window. Hyunjin heard the front door lock turn, and her mom was suddenly in the kitchen.

“What happened here?”

Hyunjin stood still, panicking and not knowing what to say. She had messed up and was angry at herself.

“It was my fault” Barbie Doll said. “I didn’t pay enough attention. Dad often says I’m a cooking hazard.”

Hyunjin was dumbfounded. Why would Barbie Doll cover for her? She was in awe, unable to say anything.

“It’s okay, Chaewon, it happens” Hyunjin’s mother said, smiling softly, although she was clearly annoyed by the fact she would not have her cakes.

The brunette’s look went from her mother to her stepsister, and she still could not talk. She would have preferred to vanish than to admit it was her fault. Yet, she was thankful to the small blonde for taking the blame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, now you know more about the stepsister Chaewon was talking about in chapter 1
> 
> How do you feel about Chaewon covering for Hyunjin? Tell me in the comments!  
> You can also ask questions and comment in my curiouscat: https://curiouscat.me/wheelipstan


	3. My Sunday

**December 15**

***HASEUL’S POV***

Every Sunday was the same, and Haseul loved it.

Her parents would go to her grandmother’s house to eat lunch. Her aunt Chungha and uncle were there with her cousin, and her other aunt Sera was always there too. Her mother and her sisters very close, and the Sunday gathering was always a peaceful time of joy and love. Peaceful might not be the right word when her cousin was too loud, and hurt everyone’s ears, but everyone still loved Yeojin anyway. At least she was always enthusiastic.

Just by looking around her at all these people sharing their meal, Haseul felt comfortable, and happy. She wondered why her other aunt, was not there yet. It was unusual. Her thoughts got interrupted by her grandmother’s voice.

“So Haseul, how is university? Are you done with it yet?”

“It’s okay. I have my midterms next week, and then it’s Christmas break” she smiled at her grandmother, who smiled back.

“Alright, do you feel ready for your midterms? You graduate in February, right?”

Haseul nodded.

“Yes, I graduate in February. I think midterms will be okay.”

It was a lie. She did not feel ready at all. Kahei had been helping her study, but she was still lost with the general subjects. Music-related subjects were fine, but she was having a hard time with the others. She would never want to worry her grandmother, so she would not tell her that.

“Good. What about you Yeojin? How is school? And how is Yerim?”

Their grandmother cared a lot about their lives and how they felt. She kept asking the same questions every Sunday, but Haseul found it endearing. Yeojin, who had surprisingly been quiet until then, sat straight on the edge of her chair to reply, obviously excited.

“School is still good! Yerim is fine too.”

The two of them had been together for four years now. When it started, Haseul would have never thought it would last, especially not this long. They were in middle school. What kind of middle school love story lasts? But it did. Her cousin and her girlfriend were still happily in love, and she always loved seeing them together, even though it did not happen often.

Yeojin seemed to hesitate for a second before talking again.

“By the way, grandma, would you be upset if I spent Christmas with Yerim’s family? They invited me because we’ve been dating for so long they said I was part of the family too, now.”

Their grandmother’s facial expressions were undecipherable.

“Do you want to spend Christmas with them?”

“Ye… Yes” Yeojin stuttered, still unable to read her grandmother’s face.

The elderly woman started to smile wide. She just wanted to scare her granddaughter. Haseul smiled seeing that. She loved that her grandmother was always so playful, even if she got scared of her reaction for a second.

“Of course you can, sweetie! Just promise me you’ll bring her here next year, then!”

Yeojin got up and hugged their grandmother so fast Haseul did not even have time to realize what was happening. When Yeojin finally let go to sit back down after Chungha had looked at her chair with insistence, their grandmother spoke again.

“Haseul, where is Kahei spending Christmas?”

She had brought her friend to their Sunday gathering once, because the Chinese girl had been feeling down, and Haseul wanted to give her a sense of home and comfort. Her whole family loved her and had kept asking how she was. Her grandmother was particularly fond of her friend. Kahei said she loved Haseul’s family too.

“I don’t know. I hope she goes back to Hong Kong. She didn’t tell me” Haseul pouted.

“You should ask her, to make sure, sweetie. If she doesn’t go see her family, tell her to come with us. She shouldn’t have to spend Christmas alone, right?”

Haseul gasped. She had never thought of inviting Kahei over for Christmas, and she did not expect her grandmother to offer that. Of course, it was a great idea! Christmas with her family was so much fun, and love, and joy. Everyone loved each other and made sure all were comfortable. Kahei would feel comfortable too, it was impossible not to.

“Really? I think it would make her very happy. I’ll ask her when I see her and I’ll let you know!”

Her grandmother did not have time to respond, because the door of the dining room opened on Sera, followed by a tall, black-haired teenage girl Haseul had never seen before. Her aunt looked a bit out of breath, and the girl looked uncomfortable.

“Hi! I’m sorry we’re late, I had to pick up some stuff at the street market” her aunt apologized.

She moved aside so everyone could see the new girl.

“Everyone, meet Hyejoo, her parents are going abroad to start a new business, so she will be living with me for a while.”

Everyone smiled warmly at the new girl, but only Yeojin proceeded to greet her.

“Hi Hyejoo! Welcome to this crazy family” Yeojin’s mother gave her a disapproving look, which made her smile even wider. “I’m Yeojin! Please seat next to me, there’s an empty seat.” She looked to her side and realized there was no empty seat. “Well, there will be one in a minute!” She got up and left the room to get a new chair.

Sera then introduced every family member to Hyejoo. The poor girl really seemed uncomfortable, and Haseul could not blame her. There were many new people to get acquainted with, and they were all so close that it might not be easy to feel included, although everyone made their best effort to make every guest feel welcome.

Yeojin came back with not only a chair, but also a bowl and some chopsticks for the newcomer.

“What about me, Yeojin?” her aunt teased her.

“Oh you know where they are, you don’t need help” Yeojin replied playfully and turned to Hyejoo. “Hyejoo, when you know where things are, don’t count on me to get them for you!”

It was a joke, but Haseul could tell the black-haired girl did not know how to reply, so she just nodded and sat on the chair Yeojin had just pulled for her, right in front of Haseul. The adults laughed, and resumed their conversation, without caring about the kids at the end of the table.

“Don’t worry, Hyejoo. Everyone here makes jokes all the time, you’ll get used to it. I know it can be a lot at first” Haseul said, trying to start a conversation and make her more comfortable. “How long are you staying with Sera?”

Hyejoo shrugged.

“I don’t know. Until my parents’ business runs smoothly enough that they can come home.”

Haseul’s chest constricted a little. She knew how long it could take for a business to be stable. Hyejoo would stay with them for months, if not years. She could not possibly imagine being away from her family for so long.

“Oh okay. Where are they going?”

“The United States.”

Hyejoo seemed unphased by all her questions, and did not react but Haseul could not keep her enthusiasm to herself.

“Really? I’ve been there for a bit in high school! It was nice! They gave me a new name, though. Jane was easier to use than Haseul apparently!”

“Well, my parents told me that I could come with them but I would have to be called Olivia” Hyejoo rolled her eyes, making it very clear she did not like that name.

“Is that why you didn’t go?” Yeojin asked.

“No, I just didn’t want to.”

Haseul could hear uneasiness in her voice, and she saw Yeojin about to ask why she did not go, but knew better than to let her make the new girl more uncomfortable than she already was, so she cut her off.

“Where are you going to school, Hyejoo?” she asked.

“Blockberry high.”

“That’s where I went! Yeojin goes there too!”

“I’ve never seen you there” Yeojin said, her eyes looking up as if trying to remember.

“That’s because I just transferred. I’m starting tomorrow.”

She looked… sad? Worried? Haseul had a hard time understanding the emotions she could see on Hyejoo’s face. She was as hard to read as she was pretty, and the tone of her voice did not help.

“Maybe you two could go to school together?” she suggested. “You live in the same neighbourhood” she quickly added, as she saw Yeojin about to protest.

Her cousin probably did not realize how hard it could be to transfer school in the middle of the year and live without her family, so she could be insensitive even if it was not her intention, and Haseul wanted to avoid that. She gave her a look that made her seem to realize.

“Yeah, I could walk you there if you want!” Yeojin said. “Give me your number, I’ll text you and we can meet up?”

“Okay” Hyejoo said. “Thank you.”

Haseul could see relief in the black-haired girl’s eyes. She had been through the same thing when she got to the United States. She was living in a completely different world, with different people, and she had felt lost. She did not want Hyejoo to feel the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!  
> See you tomorrow for the next one ;)


	4. Hi High(-school)

**December 16**

***YEOJIN’S POV***

Yeojin had a hard time waking up that Monday. She had stayed up late talking to Yerim over the phone. They usually would not call each other on school nights, but Yeojin was so enthusiastic about spending Christmas together that she could not wait until morning to tell her girlfriend, and the call had lasted longer than expected.

She had been afraid that her grandmother would be upset that she would want to spend Christmas somewhere else, as their family were very close. But she had underestimated how loving and open-minded her grandmother was.

“YEOJIN! What are you doing? Don’t forget you have to walk Hyejoo to school!” Chungha shouted from downstairs.

Crap. Yeojin had forgotten about Hyejoo. She sat up on her bed, energized all at once, and got up. She walked up to her closet. The good thing about being in high school is that she did not have to care about her clothing, since she wore a uniform. She put it on and hurried downstairs to get breakfast.

Her mother was in the kitchen preparing her own lunch box for the day.

“Hi mom! I totally didn’t forget about Hyejoo!” Yeojin said as she hugged her mother, who shook her head, knowing well that she had, indeed, forgotten about Hyejoo.

Yeojin grabbed a bowl, and pondered whether to put milk or cereal first, finally deciding to put the two at the same time. She grabbed a spoon in a drawer and energetically stirred the food. She sat down at the kitchen counter and started eating in a hurry. She often lacked time in the morning, but did not really care about leaving a few minutes late. Today, she could not.

“I Gotta Go” Chungha said, placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead on her way out. “Have a nice day! And don’t forget Hyejoo again.”

“I didn’t!” she protested. “And I won’t!”

Yeojin heard the door close. Her mom usually left later than that, but she had gotten a commercial film and the shooting started at the same time as school did.

She had always been hardworking, and Yeojin had grown self-sufficient because of that. It was not like she was abandoned by her mother but more like her mother had taught her how to manage living on her own. She could cook, clean the house, wash her clothes… Anything, really. And her mother was still always there to show her love and support. She simply did not have time to do everything in the house. The high schooler liked the situation as it was because it gave her a lot of freedom that most of her friends did not have. It also meant she had to act like a responsible person… and finish breakfast faster if she wanted to be on time at Sera’s house to walk with Hyejoo.

* * *

When Yeojin arrived, a little bit out of breath, Hyejoo and Sera were already waiting outside their house.

“Yeojin, hi! I’m glad you’re here, I was starting to worry!” Sera said, visibly relieved.

“Sorry, I forgot a textbook at home and had to go back to get it!”

It was technically true, she had forgotten it… She realized as soon as she locked the door, but her aunt did not need the details.

“Are you ready, Hyejoo? It’s not a long walk, but we still have to go” Yeojin said.

The black-haired girl nodded.

“Thank you for your help, Yeojin! It’s kind of you to walk Hyejoo to school” Sera said.

Yeojin could not help but notice how her aunt talked about the girl like she was a baby, all worried, and she would make sure to not patronize her on their way.

“It’s nothing Sera, really!” she said. “Let’s go, Hyejoo!”

She gestured to the girl to follow her and waved goodbye at her aunt, whose look she could feel on their back until they turned at the corner of the street.

“Are you okay? First day is stressful, huh?” Yeojin asked, once they were out of Sera’s gaze.

She liked making small talk, and she was definitely curious about the girl who was going to live with her aunt.

“Yeah, it is” Hyejoo replied.

Yeojin waited for her to add something more, to tell more about how she felt, but she did not. In order to avoid silence, she talked again.

“So, why didn’t you want to go to the US with your parents?”

She did not notice how Hyejoo’s hands clutched the straps of her backpack.

“I just didn’t want to go there” she said.

“Really? The US sound like a lot of fun though! It must be so different from here. Haseul…” she stopped. “Do you remember Haseul? My cousin? The one who sitting in front of you yesterday?”

Hyejoo nodded.

“Well, she always tells stories about how it was when she lived there, and it sounds nice! I’d like to go there some day.”

The black-haired girl did not reply. Yeojin looked up to her, her curiosity still unsatisfied. All she could think about, suddenly, was how much taller she was. She was tall, and quiet. Her complete opposite. Her lack of response did not bother the younger girl for long, as they arrived at school.

“Do you know where your first class is? I’ll walk you there.”

“Room A321.”

Yeojin nodded and walked enthusiastically to the stairs. The room was on the third floor. She could see the new girl sighing after getting to the first one. There was another thing they did not have in common: their level of energy. Yeojin did not mind climbing stairs, but Hyejoo seemed clearly annoyed. Maybe she was a lazy person.

They reached the third floor, and Yeojin immediately noticed a purple haired girl she knew very well. She almost ran towards her, and literally jumped in her arms, a confused Hyejoo walking behind.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you this morning” Yerim said, with a smile.

Yeojin had told her over the phone that she was walking Hyejoo to school and probably would not have time to hang out with her before class.

“I didn’t think I’d see you either” she said, and gave her a peck on the cheek.

She then seemed to realize she had a mission, and turned towards Hyejoo.

“Hyejoo, this is my girlfriend Yerim. Yerim, this is Hyejoo, my new cousin I told you about.”

It was weird to call her a cousin, but it was true, in a way. At least for the next few months. Yerim smiled brightly at Hyejoo and extended her hand to her.

“Hi Hyejoo! Welcome here!”

The black-haired girl shook Yerim’s hand and gave her a slight smile. Yerim’s enthusiasm was always contagious. Even Hyejoo would not resist, Yeojin was sure about that.

“Anyway, we have to get to A321, let’s go!” she said.

“Yeojin… This is A321” her girlfriend said, amused.

“Oh, is that right? Then, I have good news for you, Hyejoo: you and Yerim are in the same class!”

Hyejoo smiled slightly again, both at Yerim and Yeojin.

“Thank you for walking me there, Yeojin” she said, quietly.

“You’re very welcome!” she almost shouted. “Anyway, I have to get to class. You two have fun!”

She messed Yerim’s hair, and left just like that, smiling because of her mischief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you liked this chapter.  
> Don't forget to leave comments on here or on my curiouscat (http://curiouscat.me/wheelipstan)  
> I'd like to see how you like the story so far, or if you have suggestions to make it better. See you tomorrow!


	5. Lost In Translation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dearest readers!  
> Here's a reminder that I update this playlist everyday with a new song, according to the chapter I'm writing: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5t3bXywv8weoEHPx6HknHY  
> Anyway, I hope you'll like this new chapter!

**December 17**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

Kahei looked at her paper, and then glanced at Haseul, who was absorbed in whatever course material she was studying. She looked so focused. Maybe Kahei should focus too.

She looked at the sheet in front of her. There were only a few words written on it. Her name, the class name and subject. She had to write an essay in Korean on a book they had read in class. It was hard enough for her to read Korean, writing was even more complicated. She had gotten much better at conversation, and could express herself pretty easily when she talked, but writing was more complicated.

The more she focused on what she wanted to say, the more her thoughts came to her head in Cantonese, and she simply could not translate them. She was getting more frustrated with every second that passed. Her sheet was still almost blank, and she was starting to worry whether or not she would be able to make her submit her assignment in time.

She grabbed another piece of paper and started doodling on it, trying to let words and ideas come to her mind. But after about ten minutes, she still had not come up with anything but an ugly abstract drawing. She would never get this thing done. She would fail her whole year, just because she could not speak the language as well as she wanted to.

She could feel her eyes start to burn. She had come all this way to start a new life, and now she was scared it was a mistake. Her fist clutched her pen as if it was the only way she could prevent the tear that threatened to fall from doing so. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but it only made it worse. The tear finally escaped her control and roll down on her cheek.

This was so frustrating. She could not write her paper, and she could not control her emotions either. She felt so stupid. It was not like her. She could do better. Tears flowed as she sobbed quietly, staring at her blank sheet.

She had forgotten she was not alone and was surprised when she felt a hand on her back.

“Kahei, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Haseul had stood up and was now right behind her, rubbing circles on her back. She held her breath, hoping it would calm her down instantly, but it did not work.

“It’s nothing” she said, still not looking at Haseul.

Haseul pulled her chair from the other side of the table and placed right next to Kahei, so she would face her. The foreigner felt her chin be lifted very softly by her friend who forced her to look her in the eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong, sweetie.”

Kahei was not used to being called cute names by her friends, but Haseul had always had that motherly attitude that made her sound so naturally comforting. Maybe they were not what would be considered as friends by most people, since they only met up to study, but Haseul had always been warm to her anyway.

“I… I feel stupid” Kahei said in-between sobs.

Haseul seemed shocked.

“You, stupid? Why? That’s impossible.”

She looked like she really meant it, which made Kahei chuckle. Haseul was always so optimistic, it was hard not to smile when she said nice things.

“Come on, Kahei! You’re the one who helped me understand all my classes. If one of us was stupid, it would have to be me, right?”

Kahei finally stopped sobbing and looked Haseul right in the eyes.

“You’re not stupid, Haseul.”

The brunette smiled.

“I know that. And neither are you. Now, tell me what’s wrong so I can help.”

Haseul was always so kind. Kahei felt incredibly grateful that the other girl had always wanted to help her without ever patronizing her. She had noticed that since she arrived in South Korea, people would treat her like a child who was learning to talk, or who could not understand the world around her. It was true, at first. She had a hard time figuring out the culture and language, but she got better very fast. Yet, people still treated her as if she was lost and unable to comprehend situations, and she hated that. She could see that Haseul made efforts to speak more clearly when she was around, but she did not make it obvious. She had never treated Kahei as “the foreigner”, she had always made her feel like she was just like anyone else there. She knew she could tell her why she was upset, and would not be judged or pitied.

“I can’t write my paper. It’s still difficult for me to write in Korean” she said, shameful, although she did not need to be.

Haseul smiled and brought her chair even closer.

“Well, I can help with that! Tell me more about it!”

Kahei understood that she did not have a chance to escape. Haseul would not let her finish her paper on her own when she needed help. She was more thankful than any word, whether in Korean or Cantonese, could express.

* * *

“See! I knew you could do it!” Haseul exclaimed.

“It’s all thanks to you!”

“No it’s not. You think I helped but all I did was repeating what you said and summing it up to help you clear your mind. You thought about it all on your own, and you translated it all on your own too! I was just sitting next to you and encouraging you. You did all the work!”

Haseul sounded so passionate about what she was saying that Kahei believed her. That was Haseul’s power: to make you believe every kind thing she said, because she was so sincere.

“I can never thank you enough, Haseul. Without you I couldn’t have written it at all. I don’t know how I can thank you properly” Kahei said.

“For a start, you could buy me coffee if you get a good grade, which I’m sure you will!”

Going for coffee with Haseul? That sounded like a nice plan. Maybe they could become more than study buddies and actually become friends.

“I’ll buy you coffee even if I get a bad grade” Kahei noted.

Haseul’s smile grew even wider.

“I’ll hold you to that” she winked.

Kahei felt overwhelmed. Haseul was so friendly. It felt like it was new to her. She had not had a friend in so long she did not even remember how it was. Were the butterflies supposed to be there? Probably. She could not remember.

“By the way, Kahei, are you going home for Christmas?”

The butterflies suddenly turned into an iron hand around her throat. She could not go back to Hong Kong for Christmas because she was short on money, and her family was too. She had not seen them in so long, it was painful to think their reunion would have to wait even more.

“No, I can’t” she stated and pouted.

“Oh I’m sorry. Are you spending Christmas on your own, then?”

Kahei’s chest constricted even more at that thought. She had not realized yet what not going to see her family for Christmas meant. She had not thought that she would be all alone next to… not even a Christmas tree, since she could not have one in her dorm. She would just be all on her own, in her room, probably watching some silly Christmas movies to forget her homesickness.

“Yeah…” she replied.

“Good!” Haseul said cheerfully, as if it was a good thing, which surprised the other girl. “I mean, it’s good because then I can ask you if you want to spend it at my grandmother’s? She really likes you.”

Kahei’s eyes opened as wide as they could. She did not even think that Haseul remembered bringing her to brunch that Sunday when she was sad, and she would have never guessed that her grandmother liked her. She had really enjoyed her time there, and it was meaningful to her, but she did not think it would be meaningful for the others too.

“I don’t want to be a bother” she said.

“You’re not a bother, you’re a VIP guest. Requested by the host themselves” Haseul winked again.

Kahei’s stomach felt warm.

“Your grandmother wanted to invite me?”

She could not believe what the brunette had just said.

“Yes, she wants you to be there. Plus, Yeojin won’t be there because she will be with her girlfriend, so you can’t even say that you’ll be too much. There’s room for you, and we want you there!”

Haseul seemed so sure of herself she probably had thought it all through and anticipated whatever arguments Kahei would come up with because she did not want to bother her family. This is how Kahei noticed that Haseul knew her better than she had thought. She really was acting like a friend. And it would be nice to spend Christmas with a friend.

“Okay, I’d really like to come. Thank you, Haseul.”

These simple words could still not express how grateful she was. She would spend Christmas in a loving family, even if it was not her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like this chapter? Tell me what you think!  
> Also, thank you to everyone who commented yesterday, it really means a lot to me! Feedback is what keeps an author going even during hard times ;)  
> See you tomorrow!


	6. Is That a Challenge?

**December 18**

***JUNGEUN’S POV***

The only sound in the room was the alarm clock on Jungeun’s bedside table ticking. She insisted on keeping it, just in case the alarm of her phone did not go off. She still remembered vividly when she had forgotten to charge her phone when coming back from a party last year, and that it died. The alarm had not gone off and she had missed work and almost got fired. She did not want that to happen again, so she had bought an alarm clock.

Her roommate sometimes laughed at her for having one, and was sometimes annoyed because it rang so loudly. She knew there were existing ones to which you could set the ringtone, but she had bought the cheapest one. If she had bought an alarm clock, it was for her job. And if she had a job, it was to save money, not to spend it carelessly on an expensive alarm clock.

Jungeun kept her bank account as clean as her side of the room. Her roommate was a bit more messy, which she did not mind. But she, herself, needed to keep everything neat and tidy. She liked order. For her, a clear room meant a clear mind, and she could reach her goals more easily if she was in such environment.

She studied harder than a lot of college students. She expected a lot of herself. At first, her parents did not have high expectations towards her, but she had gotten them used to success, and now she had to work twice as hard to keep them satisfied. It did work. They often told her how proud they were of her achievements. It kept her going.

She looked at her alarm clock. It was almost 6pm. She had only a few minutes of peace left. She flipped through her marketing notes. Everything was color-coded, and she was confident she had memorized most of it. She read them all again in detail, just to be sure. Her test was on Friday, she had to know it all by heart by then. She would.

The door opened, and a black-haired girl came in, with a wide smile. It was a good day, apparently. Sometimes Jinsoul was tired and would not talk much, preferring to stay in her own world. Jungeun appreciated these moments because she could keep focusing on her studies. But that day, her roommate seemed very enthusiastic.

The first-year marketing student closed the file containing her notes, knowing full well she was in for a nice chat.

“Jungeun! I have news!” Jinsoul exclaimed happily.

Jungeun smiled at her roommate.

“Are you not going to ask me what is it?” the black-haired girl asked.

“You’re gonna be blonde again?” Jungeun teased her.

Her roommate had been blonde for a long time before she dyed her hair black, causing everyone in the campus to ask her out. She had made the boys, the girls, and the genderqueer people fall for her. Every day, Jungeun heard a new story about how embarrassed her roommate was that she had to reject so many people. She would not have believed there was such a hype around her roommate, thinking she made it up to be funny, but she witnessed a lot of those rejection moments. Some of the people even knocked on their dorm room asking if Jinsoul was there, and she had to tell them no, as her roommate would hide in their closet so they would not see her.

“Are you insane? I don’t want my scalp to burn!” she cried, almost offended at the thought.

Jungeun laughed as her roommate sat down on her own bed.

“Just admit you like all the attention you’re getting with the black hair.”

“No way. I got asked out today. Again.”

“By who? What did you say?” Jungeun was genuinely curious.

Even though it was getting tiring for Jinsoul to reject people, she always found a different way to do it, and Jungeun was amazed at her mind.

“Kim Minkyung…”

“What? She’s hot!” Jungeun interrupted her.

Kim Minkyung was in Jinsoul’s grade. She was notorious for being every gay girl on campus’ crush. Even the Jungeun’s first-year friends knew who she was.

“Is she your type? She is hot, indeed” Jinsoul admitted. “But I’m not interested.”

Jungeun decided to ignore her questions. This was not about her.

“So what did you tell her?”

“I said that I was not available but that her friend Kang Gyeongwon probably was” she shrugged.

“You outed Gyeongwon’s crush?” Jungeun sounded shocked.

“Come on, Jungeun. Everyone knows about it already. Except maybe Gyeongwon, but maybe it will get her out of denial” Jinsoul chuckled.

Jungeun pretended she was unphased by all the tea her roommate kept spilling, but she secretly loved it. She knew a lot about the lives of people she had never even talked too. It was very entertaining. Jinsoul crossed her legs on her bed, facing Jungeun.

“Anyway” Jinsoul resumed talking. “We’re going to a party Saturday.”

“Who’s we?”

“You and I, my dear. It’s about time you start having fun and meet new people. You can’t just be friends with me and no one else.”

Jungeun was a social person, but she feared that having friends would distract her from her goals and perpetual quest to achieve them. She knew that if she started socializing, she would have less time to study, and that she would be distracted at work. She could not have that happen. She was glad she had met Jinsoul when they got put together as roommates, and she was enough. At least for now.

“You know I’m gonna say no, right?” she pouted.

“No, I’m not asking you if you want to come. I’m telling you you will.”

“I can’t, I work on Sunday at noon” Jungeun shook her head.

“Which still leaves you about ten hours to sleep if we get back around midnight!” Jinsoul tried to sound convincing.

“No, I have to go to sleep early or I’ll be jetlagged.”

“Jetlagged? You’re exaggerating, grandma.”

Jungeun liked to sleep early and to have her sleeping schedule as much in order as the rest of her life. It did not make her a grandmother, it made her a perfectionist.

“I’m not a grandma” she replied.

“Prove it, then!”

“Is that a challenge, Jinsoul?”

Jinsoul looked her straight in the eyes.

“It is. But I know you’ll chicken out, so…”

That sentence convinced Jungeun. She could not let Jinsoul think she was a coward. She was a very determined and confident woman. She would not let others see her any other way.

“Fine, I’m coming. But we have to be home by midnight.”

Jinsoul jumped from her bed to hop on Jungeun’s and hug her tightly. The younger girl appreciated the gesture, but still pretended to choke.

“Jinsoul let me go! I can’t go to your party if you kill me.”

Jinsoul hugged her even tighter.

“Oh no, I’m not letting you go until we actually get to this party. I’m too scared you’ll change your mind.”

Jungeun struggled, but it was useless. Her roommate was really not letting go.

“Trust me, Jinsoul, I’m coming to this party” she insisted.

She paused for a second.

“Wait, what kind of party is it?”

Jinsoul suddenly let go of her, stood up and put her hand on the doorknob, ready to flee. Jungeun did not understand why she suddenly wanted to leave.

“It’s Ladies Night Out at The Loonatic.”

She did not just say that.

“Jung Jinsoul, I’m gonna kill you.”

“You’ll have to catch me first!” she said and escaped the room quickly.

Jungeun got up fast and followed her into the corridor, but she was already at the other end. She would say she could not believe her roommate tricked her into going to a gay bar, but she actually could believe it. Many people said Jinsoul was dumb, but she was in fact pretty smart. She knew how to get what she wanted. Jungeun usually remembered to never underestimate her roommate, but this time, she got played. And there was no way she would go back on her promise. She was going to this Ladies Night Out, or whatever it was.


	7. Birth of the Cosmos

**December 19**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

Jinsoul looked at every person who went by, hoping to recognize the person she was waiting for. She was not sure if she knew her face, but at least she knew her name and student email address. She had been standing in front of studio 11 for ten minutes now. The other girl was running late. Their project was off to a great start. Slightly annoyed, she kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other. If at least she had gotten the keys to the studio, she could have started working, but the other girls had said she would get them.

“Jung Jinsoul?” a smaller girl with a bob haircut asked, coming right in front of her, visibly out of breath.

“Yes. You’re Haseul, right?”

The smaller girl nodded, as she fumbled in her pocket and took the keys out of it.

“I’m sorry I’m late, the queue to get the keys was longer than I had expected. I hope you haven’t been waiting for too long!”

She looked sincerely sorry. Jinsoul was not in the mood to hold a grudge, and the girl looked really sweet.

“No it’s okay, you’re only a few minutes late.”

Her project partner unlocked the door and they could finally get in. The university had not lied on their advertisement when they said they had high tech recording and production studios. Everything was brand new, and there were expensive props all over the place for the students to use.

It was definitely not the first time that Jinsoul used one of these studios, but she was still amazed at everything around her. It was so professional. It made her feel like a professional music producer. Which she was supposed to become in only two months, if everything went well and she did not fail her exams.

One of the last projects she had to do was produce a song from scratch and showcase it at the end of the year. In order to do that, she had been paired up with Jo Haseul. Although they had never met, because their schedules were different, she knew that the girl was very talented. She had heard it from her classmates. She knew their production would be good if she was her partner, but she was not sure if it would go smoothly, as they did not know each other at all and might have differing opinions. The teachers said that it was the exact reason they had to do that project in teams. So that they get to experience what it’s like in a professional environment where you have everyone’s opinion to take into account in the making of a song.

Both of them put their coat on the hanger behind the door, and headed towards the console, each sitting on the very comfortable chairs that were set there.

“So, did you have any idea?” Haseul asked.

Jinsoul was glad she was taking the initiative to talk. She could see in the girl’s eyes that even though she had arrived late, she would be fully invested in the project. And since it was one of their last, and determining grade, it was a relief.

“I thought about writing a ballad, a song that expresses something deep. But I think it’s exactly what the teachers are expecting and maybe we should challenge ourselves a bit more?” Jinsoul said, unsure about what she was saying.

“I totally agree! I don’t know what projects you worked on before, but I’ve only ever shown them my ballad writing abilities. I’d like to show them something new. However, I think we can stick to the idea of writing a song that expresses something deep? And we just coat it in a nice upbeat track that makes you want to dance?” Haseul did not seem too sure of herself either, or maybe she was just stressed about starting off this project on the wrong foot by arriving late.

Jinsoul nodded and smiled, appreciating how far her partner had thought of the project. They were already in agreement about most of it.

“Yeah, like, we could be sending a message by adding double meanings to the lyrics so it can be both fun and deep?” she suggested.

The other girl seemed to relax.

“That’s a great idea! Do you have examples of what you’ve written before?” she asked, and then passed a file to Jinsoul. “Here are the songs I’ve submitted already.”

In the past three years, they had to submit a few projects, the difficulty increasing every time. At first they only had to write lyrics that fitted a track given by the teachers. Then they had to compose a track to fit pre-written lyrics. Then they had to create the both of them. Then they had to do the recording, production and post-production of other students’ track. This was the final, and most complicated one: they had to do everything from the lyrics and track composing to the post-production, including a marketing plan for their single.

Jinsoul had always enjoyed the process of making a song, but this project was huge, and two months was a short period to get everything done. Especially when it changed so much from what she had done before.

“I do have examples of some songs I’ve written, but I’d like to change my writing style for this one, so I don’t know if you really need to read the others” she stated.

Haseul smiled, and put a hand on Jinsoul’s shoulder.

“Please, I’m curious. I’ve heard your songs were well-crafted, and I want to see what a well-crafted song by a third year student looks like” she said.

Jinsoul felt electricity going through her veins and heat come to her face. She did not expect that compliment.

“You’ve heard about my songs? Who talked to you about them?”

“Uh, everyone in our grade. Yet, I have never heard any of them. They’re impossible to find” she seemed puzzled.

Jinsoul had indeed made a lot of her classmates listen to her songs to get feedback, but she never uploaded them anywhere. Many of her fellow students had a youtube account, and they were allowed to publish the music they made in class on it. But she never wanted to do that. She was scared that putting out songs that were not completely good yet could ruin her career before it started, so she was waiting to get better to upload anything. She had, however, heard Haseul’s songs.

“I don’t upload anything. But you don’t need to look at my lyrics to see what a well-crafted song is. You have yours already.”

Haseul pouted.

“No. I mean, I can say that my songs are okay, but what makes them good is my vocals, not my writing skills. I make easy rhymes, and the lyrics make sense but they’re not that deep. I’ve never been praised for having a well-crafted song. You have. I’ve heard your lyrics are good poetry.”

She seemed so sincere there was no way Jinsoul could not believe her. She would have never qualified her own work as good poetry, though. She cared a lot about including stylistic effects, and using relevant vocabulary, but it did not seem enough effort to call it ‘good poetry’.

“Thank you. I don’t think they are _that_ good, honestly. And the instrumentation of my tracks lacks complexity. Yours are great though. I can tell you have studied music theory for long.”

The smaller girl rolled her eyes when Jinsoul said her songs were not _that_ good, but waiting for her to stop talking before she replied.

“In this case, we’ll make a good team! We’ll be complimentary.”

Jinsoul approved.

“So, where do we start? Should we find a theme, and then write everything that comes to our mind for the remaining half an hour we have booked the studio for?” Haseul suggested.

“Sounds like a plan!” Jinsoul said as she grabbed a notebook in her backpack.

She set her notebook on the console in front of her, grabbed a pen, and said the first thing that came to her mind:

“How about a song about meeting someone and always looking for them afterwards, but we find a way to turn it into something about gravity, the cosmos, and orbiting around someone?”

Haseul’s eyes opened wide, and her mouth formed an almost perfect O. She was in disbelief. Maybe Jinsoul had gone too far. Her idea was probably too complicated, and not that interesting.

“Your mind. Wow. I’m so glad I’m working with you! I love this idea. Let’s see what we can do with it!”

Seeing her partner be so enthusiastic was a relief. Without adding anything, Jinsoul started to scribble on her notebook, random words, sentences, that she scattered all over the paper. She really was inspired, and she wanted to make the song better than just ‘good’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii!   
> I hope you liked this chapter too and that you'll look forward to Haseul and Jinsoul's collaboration.  
> See you tomorrow!


	8. Remember How We Used To Play

**December 20**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

Yerim grabbed Hyejoo’s arm and dragged her to the cafeteria. Although she was usually pretty keen on physical contact with people and was a hug lover, she had kept herself from any touch with Hyejoo before, as the new girl seemed uncomfortable with even being in her company in the first place. But it was her fifth day in school, and she looked more accustomed to the place, and she also got more talkative, so Yerim stop refraining from being her touchy self. And in fact, Hyejoo did not seem to mind being grabbed by the arm as much as being dragged in a direction she did not choose.

“Hurry up or there won’t be any fries left, and I’m in the mood for fries right now!” Yerim said.

Hyejoo rolled her eyes but quickened her pace anyway. Yerim knew her new friend was hungry. She had heard her stomach growl during the whole mathematics class. They quickly arrived in front of the cafeteria where Yeojin was waiting for them. She let go of Hyejoo’s arm to cup Yeojin’s cheeks and kiss her twice, smiling in-between each kiss.

“Let’s go” she said before her girlfriend could say anything.

She headed towards the entrance, holding Yeojin’s hand, Hyejoo following them closely. They had been eating together the whole week. It was a change for the couple who were used to being alone most of the time, and who had to make sure Hyejoo did not feel like a third-wheel. They had gotten a lot of cute habits in the last four years that they had to tone down now.

They each grabbed a tray, chose some starters and desserts, got their meals – Yerim got her fries easily as there were plenty left – and sat down at a table in the corner of the room.

“Ms. Ahn was so scary today, you should have seen her!” Yeojin said, her eyes wide as she remembered her class.

“I thought you said she was hot when she was angry!” Yerim teased her.

“Hot, but scary” Yeojin corrected.

Yerim turned to Hyejoo.

“You haven’t met Ms. Ahn Hwasa yet, but you’ll understand when we have class with her next week. She looks… fierce” she explained.

Hyejoo smiled, but looked away quickly. She then leaned a bit over the table and talked in a tone so low it almost sounded like a whisper.

“Who are these girls over there?”

She pointed to another table where a brunette and a small blonde sat together.

“Jeon Heejin and Park Chaewon” Yeojin shouted.

“Yeojin shhhh… way to be discrete” Yerim rolled her eyes.

The girls did not budge. They had not heard her, thankfully.

“Jeon Heejin is the president of the art club. She’s very talented, honestly. Very creative” Yeojin added.

Hyejoo nodded.

“And the other?” she asked. “Park Chaewon” she precised.

“Chaewon has been our school queen for two years” Yerim said, as if this statement was self-explanatory.

She saw Hyejoo stare at Chaewon, probably scanning every detail of her face from a distance.

“She’s very pretty” she said.

Yerim and Yeojin exchanged a glance. They had not heard Hyejoo compliment anything or anyone yet since she had arrived. She did not express her thoughts and feelings very much, only interacting when it was necessary. This was a change. Maybe the blush that was starting to invade her face explained the change, though.

“Too pretty to date a boy, apparently. I mean, that’s what she said once” Yerim said.

A mischievious smile appeared on Yeojin’s face.

“Maybe she was only saying she’d prefer to date a girl” the small girl said.

“We’ve never seen her date anyone, though. I tried to ask her about her love life when she ate with us last month, but she changed the subject” Yerim pouted.

“Oh you guys know her?” Hyejoo asked.

She had a curious expression on her face. It was _… cute?_ Yerim thought. Hyejoo seemed to genuinely be invested in their conversation for once, and it was pleasant to see her become more comfortable.

“Yeah we used to be neighbors before her dad remarried, we hung out sometimes on the weekends when our parents had brunches together” the purple-haired girl explained.

“She sometimes eats with us when Heejin is not there” Yeojin added.

Hyejoo looked at Heejin quickly and looked at the two girls right after.

“How long have you two been together?” she asked.

“It’s been four years!” Yeojin replied enthusiastically, not missing a beat.

Yerim turned to look at Yeojin, observing the two dumplings in her hair, the shape of her eyes, her nose… Everything about her was so beautiful. She never got used to the way her heart would beat faster simply by taking in all her girlfriend’s features.

She remembered how she had noticed her, the first day of middle school. Her mom had brought her there, and the first thing Yerim thought was that they looked alike so much. She tried to analyse their faces to see what exactly made them look like each other. But by doing that, she inevitably noticed how pretty Yeojin’s face was. She did not know her yet, but she would often think of ‘the girl with the pretty features just like her mom’ and wonder about what class she was in, what were her favorite subjects… She wondered a lot about this perfect stranger, wishing they could meet and be friends.

They finally met when they went on a field trip right before summer vacations. Yerim was sitting alone at the front of the bus because her friend was sick, and Yeojin had been kicked off the back of the bus by the teachers because she was too noisy and they hoped to keep her quiet by making her sit next to Yerim. Which did not work, because Yeojin would not shut up about Yerim’s playlist that she had seen while looking over at her phone. Yeojin said hers was better, and shared her earphones with Yerim to make her listen. They had ended up spending the whole day together, Yeojin completely ignoring her friends, as she was too busy talking to Yerim about how much she wanted a pet snail and how she might just steal one from the snail farm they had the field trip on. Yerim barely prevented that from happening by telling Yeojin she would go with her to the pet store to get one if she wanted to. Yeojin said it was the nicest thing someone had ever said to her.

They exchanged numbers and went to the pet store a few days later. Yeojin did not get any snail because her mother would be too mad, and she did not want that to happen. But they went out to get bubble tea, and chatted for a while. Yerim liked how funny Yeojin was, and how easy it was to talk to her. She was often seen as the troublemaker in school, and it looked like she did not care about anything, but Yerim could see it was not true. The smaller girl, who was at that time taller than her, listened to her well, and paid close attention to what she said.

Yerim found her fascinating. Now that she had finally met ‘the girl who had pretty features just like her mom’, and that she was even nicer than she was beautiful, she always wanted to spend time with her, drawn to her in a way she could not explain.

And then, one day, all at once, Yeojin said she had a crush on her. She blurted it out randomly, and Yerim was shocked. She did not expect that. She did not even understand what having a crush meant, and she literally had to ask Yeojin to explain, which was slightly embarrassing for the poor girl who had just confessed. Yet, it felt easy for the both of them. Yerim understood what the other girl meant, and told her that according to her definition of a crush, she had one too.

They started holding hands in school, and gradually became closer, until the point they decided to be girlfriends for real. And they had not left each other since. This relationship with Yeojin was the only one Yerim had ever known, since they were so little when they started dating. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to date someone else, but would shake the thought immediately. The simple sight of her girlfriend would remind her why she would not have it any other way. She was in love. Head over heels.

She could reminisce about the past four years and all the memories they made for hours, but the other girls’ voices brought her back to the real world. They had apparently been conversing while she was deep in her thoughts.

“No way! She kept you from stealing a snail? That’s cute” Hyejoo laughed.

Hyejoo’s laugh was nice to hear. Maybe it was the first time Yerim heard it that day. The taller girl was getting softer and softer each passing moment. Her company was very pleasant.

“I did. But I think the only reason she did not bring it back was because she did not want to have snail slime all over her clothes in the bus.”

Yeojin suddenly licked her face.

“Here’s some snail slime for you!” she exclaimed.

“Ewwwww” Yerim grimaced.

“Gross” Hyejoo concluded, amused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter has come a bit later than the others, but it's 11:40pm here, so we're still the 20th of December, so we're good!  
> I hope you enjoyed the little Yeorry back story :)  
> See you tomorrow!


	9. Ladies Night Out

**December 21**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

This Saturday was like any other Saturday to Sooyoung, in the sense that she was, as usual, going to the Loonatic club. What made it different was that she had managed to convince Jiwoo to come with her. The girl overworked herself and seriously needed to chill. She studied even on the weekends. What kind of student does that?

When Sooyoung had been paired up with her through the buddy system, she had been glad because the first year was always bright and enthusiastic. She seemed to have a lot of energy, and Sooyoung thought that maybe she could become a party buddy as well. But although she was so energetic, she focused all her energy on studying. As a buddy, it was the older one’s role to tell the poor girl to get some rest, and relax. Her university experience did not have to be all about classes and studying. She could, and she should, also have fun.

It had taken a week to convince her to come. Nothing worked, so Sooyoung resolved to guilt-tripping her into coming. Indeed, Jiwoo had promised when the school year started that she would go to a party with her once. Sooyoung had told her that since no one else wanted to come with her to the Ladies Night Out at the Loonatic, Jiwoo had to, especially since she had promised.

Sooyoung did have friends to go with, but she wanted to see Jiwoo outside of the university cafeteria where they usually met. She had really taken a liking into the younger one, who she considered as a little sister.

“Wait, Sooyoung…” she heard behind her as she reached the door to the club.

“Yes?” she asked as she turned around.

“This is… a gay bar?”

Sooyoung frowned. She thought Jiwoo knew what the Loonatic was.

“Umm yes. You didn’t know? Is there a problem?”

She could have sworn the other girl was gay. She was getting vibes, and she was almost never wrong.

“No it’s just… I wasn’t expecting that.”

Jiwoo’s face looked red even in the dark of the night. Sooyoung smiled.

“Don’t tell me you are a panicked gay!” she teased her buddy.

“I’m not panicked!” Jiwoo said quickly.

“So you’re gay?” Sooyoung did not miss a beat.

“Uh… Yeah.”

Jiwoo looked at her feet. Sooyoung placed a hand on her shoulder as if she was trying to comfort her.

“It’s okay Jiwoo. It happens even to the best of us.”

She patted Jiwoo’s back and winked at her, but the younger girl pushed her hand away.

“Shut up, Sooyoung. Let’s get inside before I change my mind!”

She really seemed annoyed, but it would never stop Sooyoung from playing with her.

“So you really are panicked…” she said, and smiled at the bouncer as she walked into the bar.

She stopped inside, waiting for her friend to join her. A lot of people were there already. She had insisted and Jiwoo and she drank a bit at home before going to spend less money once they were there. She was not drunk at all, but the younger girl was already a bit tipsy.

“It’s so crowded” Jiwoo said. “I didn’t think so many people went to gay bars” she added.

“You’ve never been to one?”

Jiwoo shook her head.

“Well, let’s make your first experience here a nice one!”

Sooyoung grabbed her friend by the arm and brought her to the counter to order some drinks. She leaned over it, and a barmaid came their way.

“Hi Sooyoung! What do you want this time?” the blonde girl asked, a smile plastered on her face.

“An orgasm please.”

Sooyoung looked at Jiwoo whose eyes had widened. She looked so shocked it was funny.

“Make it two, please” she said to the barmaid without taking her gaze from Jiwoo.

The barmaid turned around and Sooyoung felt Jiwoo pull on her sleeve.

“What are you doing? Do you just go around and ask girls for sex like that?” she whispered angrily.

The poor girl was panicked.

“Jiwoo, listen. An orgasm is a shot. It’s its name.”

An O formed on Jiwoo’s mouth.

“Oh” she said. “Right.”

The barmaid placed two green shots in front of them. Jiwoo took hers in her right hand and lifted it up to her eyes to get a closer look at it.

“What’s in it?” she asked.

“I’m not telling you until you drink it” Sooyoung gave her a mischievous smile.

“You’re scaring me. I don’t wanna drink it.”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes and grabbed her own shot. She would not let Jiwoo think about it much longer, otherwise she would never drink it.

“On the count of three” she paused. “One…Two…Three.”

She downed her shot, feeling the sweet taste in her mouth and looked at Jiwoo, whose expression was hard to read. She definitely looked surprise, but Sooyoung could not tell if she was disgusted or pleased.

“That thing owns up to its name” Jiwoo said.

“See, I told you!”

Sooyoung was extremely satisfied with herself.

“What’s in it?” Jiwoo asked.

“Tequila, Bailey’s and Get 27” she replied.

Jiwoo nodded and turned to her.

“So what do we do now? From the way the barmaid talked to you, I imagine you come here often and know what to do” Jiwoo guessed.

It was true. Sooyoung came here often. Very often. Every night she was bored, basically. When she wanted some… company. She would always find it. It was not that hard, really. She sat at the counter and flirted with the girls she found pretty when they came to order. And then, she would make a move and see where the night took her.

“Now, you look around and you tell me if you see any pretty girls.”

She would, as a good buddy, tutor Jiwoo into flirting with the girls she liked. She could see that her friend was getting less inhibited already, but her panicked gay self might need a little push.

Jiwoo looked around, and it did not take her long to point a discrete finger at two girls sitting down in a corner.

“The black-haired one has a very beautiful face”.

Sooyoung had seen this girl several times here already.

“Okay, follow me” she told Jiwoo.

She walked towards the two girls’ table, Jiwoo trying to pull on her sleeve to keep her from doing so.

“Relax, Jiwoo, I’m just going to talk to them. That’s what you do at a bar.”

She did not pay any mind the younger girl trying to keep her from going. She arrived at the table and pointed at the two empty seats.

“Excuse me, can my friend and I sit there? It’s really crowded in here and I’m not sure there’s any table left” she said.

The black-haired girl smiled and talked while the other just stared at Sooyoung.

“Sure, go ahead!”

Sooyoung pulled a chair for Jiwoo, and one for her.

“I’ve seen you around but I’m not sure we’ve ever talked. I’m Jinsoul! And you are?” the black-haired girl said.

Oh. So that was THE Jinsoul everyone was talking about at university? Sooyoung definitely understood the hype, but she had never felt attracted to that girl.

“My name’s Sooyoung, and my friend here is Jiwoo.”

Jiwoo waved at the two girls, a bright smile on her face. She did not seem that panicked anymore.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Jinsoul said.

Sooyoung turned to the other girl, who had not introduced herself.

“And you are…?” she asked.

The girl opened her eyes wide at Sooyoung and looked at the table.

“Jun… Jungeun” she mumbled.

Sooyoung saw Jinsoul elbow the girl, who suddenly showed them a smile.

* * *

“Talk to her, Jiwoo! She’s nice, she’s not gonna bite!” Sooyoung told her friend in the bathroom.

Jiwoo, who was washing her hand, splashed water on her.

“Hey, why did you do that?”

“Stop pressuring me!” Jiwoo pouted.

Sooyoung had been trying to get Jiwoo and Jinsoul together by teasing Jiwoo, which made her whine, and made her cuter than she already was. She was trying to show the other girl that her friend was cute and thought she had done a fairly good job at putting her in the spotlight so far.

“I’m not pressuring you. I’m just saying you should try!” Sooyoung replied.

* * *

Sooyoung looked to her left. Jungeun was quiet, and she would not let the two of them be silent while Jiwoo was ordering drinks and Jinsoul was in the bathroom.

“Listen, Jungeun, we have to set our friends up together. I mean, Jiwoo is obviously attracted to Jinsoul.”

The other girl turned to her and smiled.

“Jinsoul told me she thought Jiwoo was cute when you two were in the bathroom.”

Sooyoung placed a hand on Jungeun’s thigh in an enthusiastic gesture without even realizing.

“See! We _have_ to get them to talk together!” she said.

“Let’s prank them” Jungeun said.

This girl had been a bit quiet since they had arrived, so Sooyoung was a bit surprised she would have such an idea. She did not look like a prankster.

“Okay. How? Do you have a plan?” Sooyoung asked.

“I always do” the girl’s smile was now mischievous.

Was that banter? Sooyoung knew how to do banter. She made sure to look her in the eyes.

“Do you? What is it then, Jungstein?”

“Don’t call me that, please!”

“Oh I’ll call you however I want!”

Sooyoung was confident. It did not matter if she had known the girl only for one hour. She would do as she pleased, and somehow, the other girl would be fine with it. Everyone always was, although she could not explain it. Jungeun broke their stare for a few seconds and then started to talk again, dismissing Sooyoung’s last statement.

“We’ll just leave” she said.

“How is that a plan?” Sooyoung asked, confused.

“They’ll wonder where we are and will probably team up to look for us. It will make them talk together.”

It was a clever idea.

* * *

“Maybe we should go back now? They’ll get worried” Jungeun said.

“It’s nice here, though” Sooyoung said.

She looked around. The park was quiet, and she could see the wind move the children’s swing next to the bench Jungeun and her had been sitting on and chatting for the past five minutes.

“I don’t want to lose them for real” Jungeun said as she stood up. “You can stay here if you want, but I’m going back.”

Seeing how the other girl started to walk, Sooyoung knew there was no chance they would stay there, so she followed her. The two girls were sitting at the table when they got there.

“Wait, you weren’t looking for us?” she asked, surprised.

“I figured there was no point because we might just miss each other in every place we’d search, if we were both on the move so it was a better idea to not move until you came back” Jinsoul replied.

This girl sounded clever. If Sooyoung was rating her on how good she would be for Jiwoo, she might have earned a few more points when she said that.


	10. Catching Up

**December 21**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

Jiwoo woke up unable to breathe because of something weighing on her. It was unusual. Nothing she kept in her room could fall on her bed. She opened her eyes, and realized she was not in her room. She remembered seeing this place once, but could not tell where she was. She moved slightly to figure out what kept her from breathing. Long dark hair fell on her face. Whose hair was it? Jiwoo started to panick. Now that she thought about it, she did not entirely remember the end of the night before. She had been pissed at Sooyoung, and drank more than she had planned and… went home with… Sooyoung, probably? She pushed the girl’s hair out of her face to see who it was. It was indeed Sooyoung. _Thank God_.

At least, Sooyoung had kept her promise of bringing her back to her apartment in case she was too drunk to go home. Although she liked Sooyoung a lot, she must admit that she did not think of the older girl as being reliable. She was always out at night, partying and drinking carelessly, often skipping class the next day. She was glad to have her as a buddy, and that she had taken her under her wing to help her discover university, but she would not take her as a role model.

She wanted to push Sooyoung away to get more space, but as her gaze fell on the other girl’s face, she could not. She looked so peaceful. Jiwoo would lie if she said she had not stared at Sooyoung’s face long enough before to know how gorgeous she was, but this time was different because it was from up close. Her skin was flawless. It looked so soft. Jiwoo was tempted to trace a finger down her cheek, just to check how soft it was, but she did not. Her friend was so beautiful. How could she even compare? Of course, Sooyoung had attracted the two girls from last night like a magnet, leaving her to feel like a fourth-wheel. She knew she should not feel bitter about it, because it was not Sooyoung’s fault that even her drunk self could not flirt. She was mad at herself for not being able to make a move on Jinsoul.

She had not tried to flirt, partly because she panicked – maybe Sooyoung was right when she called her a panicked gay – and partly because she was too busy whining about how Sooyoung did not care about her when she and Jungeun had come back from whatever hiding spot they were at. The two of them had been laughing together, and shared inside jokes. Jiwoo had realized that even if she had known Sooyoung for three months, they did not share any inside jokes. Alcohol made her petty and she could not help but complain about it to Jinsoul, who was kind enough to listen to her.

Jiwoo closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. She could have gotten up, but it would have meant making Sooyoung move away from her, and she did not have it in her heart to push her away. She did not want her farther away, anyway. Being in contact with her had something appeasing. She listened to her friend’s breathing pattern, and tried to match hers to it. It made her relax, and she fell asleep, Sooyoung’s head still on her shoulder and all her weight on the right side of her body.

* * *

“Good morning Kim Jiwoo! How’s your headache?”

Jiwoo opened her eyes and realized that the bed was empty, and that Sooyoung was standing next to it, a tray in her hands. She set the tray on a chair, right next to where Jiwoo’s head was.

“Here’s your hangover soup. I figured that you must be quite hammered from everything you drank last night.”

Jiwoo sat up. She had not realized it when she had woken up before, but indeed, she had a headache. She felt a bit nauseous as well.

“Thank you.”

Sooyoung might have been a pain in the ass all night long, trying to get her to talk to Jinsoul at all costs, but she was still a thoughtful person. She grabbed the bowl of soup and brought it to her lips. It did not taste good, but she knew it would be efficient to rid her of her hangover.

“There’s a clean towel next to the shower if you want to have one before you go.”

All Jiwoo wanted to do that day was staying in bed and watch a movie snuggled in warm blankets. It was almost Christmas and she still had not taken the time to watch any cheesy Christmas movie. She used to do it every year, but this time she had been so caught up in her academics to watch any. She had barely had a social life as well.

Crap.

She had forgotten her hangout with Hyunjin. She had not seen her friend in weeks and had promised to hang out with her that Sunday.

“Sooyoung, what time is it?” she asked after finishing the soup completely.

The other girl came from her living room into her room to reply.

“It’s twelve thirty.”

Jiwoo sighed in relief.

“Thanks! I’ll have a shower and I’ll get going, then.”

She was relieved she even had time to shower before going to Hyunjin’s mother’s house.

* * *

Jiwoo rang the bell. She used to come here so often she would just barge in, but it did not feel right anymore, especially since the house was more crowded than before. She did not know Chaewon and her dad that much, and she would not feel comfortable invading their privacy, so she preferred to ring.

The door opened on a small blonde.

“Oh hi Chaewon!” Jiwoo greeted her with a bright smile.

She knew Hyunjin did not like her stepsister, but she wanted to make sure Chaewon knew she had nothing against her. She thought Hyunjin was still hurt about the whole family situation, but that when she got used to it, she would stop criticizing the blonde girl unfairly. Plus, Jiwoo had seen Chaewon around in high school for three years, and she had always thought she looked nice. She was very popular, but still kept hanging out with Jeon Heejin only, and sometimes some girls who were younger. She definitely did not seem like a bitch.

“Hyunjin is in her room” Chaewon said, a shy smile on her face, as if she was apologizing for even being there.

“Great, thanks!”

She walked past Chaewon, climbed the stairs, like she had done dozens of times before, and opened Hyunjin’s door without even knocking.

“Mom I told you to knock!” Hyunjin shouted before realizing who was there. “Oh… Jiwoo, I’m sorry!”

“I know I’m older than you, but I’d never think you’d call me mom!” Jiwoo chuckled.

She closed the door behind herself and walked up to her friend, who was sitting at her desk, and hugged her from behind.

“I’ve missed you so much!” she said. “I’m sorry I could not hang out sooner. I’ve been crazy busy with university.”

“I know.”

Hyunjin’s tone was soft, but Jiwoo could feel a bit of resentment anyway. Her throat hurt a bit.

“Anyway, it’s finally vacation time, and I’m sure we have plenty of things to catch up on!” she said with a bright smile.

“I don’t have much to say, honestly. My life’s been pretty boring since you graduated.”

Jiwoo pouted. She really had not been there for her friend enough. She had texted her a lot, but she still felt like she did not know exactly what was going on.

“What about that girl you were telling me about? The one you have a crush on?”

“You mean Chaewon’s bestfriend?”

Hyunjin had never told her who the girl was. She only knew that her friend had been eyeing her out for a long time.

“Wait, your crush is Jeon Heejin?”

Hyunjin nodded.

“Well, yes, but she’s Chaewon’s bestfriend so I’d better forget about it.”

She sounded so bitter that Jiwoo hurt. She did not like seeing her friend being spiteful. Or sad. She was pretty sure this came from a place of sadness, which hurt even more.

“Kim Hyunjin, cut Chaewon some slack. I don’t know what she’s done to you, or what you’ve done to her, but she looks almost terrified to live here.”

“That’s the problem. She always looks terrified, like she’s a poor thing who was put there against her will and just tries to disappear.”

Hyunjin’s tone was harsh, and Jiwoo did not like it.

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she didn’t have a choice either and might be suffering from the situation as much as you do?”

“I don’t care. Let’s talk about something else. You went out last night, right?”

Maybe Hyunjin was still not ready to accept her situation or even just reflect upon it. Jiwoo was not one to insist. If she could make her friend happy by providing her with a distraction, talking about her own life, she would do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.  
> I really enjoy the writing process so far, so I hope you have as much fun reading!  
> See you tomorrow :)


	11. Home 2.0

**December 23**

**CHAEWON’S POV**

Chaewon spent most of her time at Heejin’s after school, and no one was worried about it. Her dad was not home until late at night, and her stepmother would not give her any boundaries, probably because she wanted Chaewon to like her, so she would just do as she pleased every day. She felt much more comfortable at Heejin’s, where she had been going for years than in her own room in this new house. Especially when said room was next to Hyunjin’s, whom she knew hated her, although she did not understand why. She did not have it in her to confront the brunette. Her bursts of anger kind of scared her, and she would rather avoid having one directed at her.

She had never liked conflict. In middle school, everyone started gravitating towards her because she was pretty, which was pleasant in some ways, but would bring a lot of drama into her life. Not everyone who shared her life back then was kind. They would criticize others, and she when she pointed out how unfair they were, and the whole thing would turn against her, as they started criticizing her instead. Since then, she had learnt to not talk too much, and not express her feelings when something bothered her. Instead she would just shut down and shut people out. What it had taught her, mostly, was to be careful about who she surrounded herself with.

She had noticed Heejin while she was still hanging out with the school’s mean girls. Heejin was in her own world, and did not seem to care about what anyone else thought. She looked self-sufficient, but still open to others and kind. Chae had watched her from afar for a while, until she decided enough was enough and turned her back on the other girls. She left them, and went to sit with the artsy girl for lunch, telling her how cool she looked. Heejin, used to being on her own, was surprised that Chaewon would sit with her, but appreciated the company. So they started eating lunch together everyday. The girls were mad, and tried to turn people’s backs against the blonde, but it backfired because, although she could not explain why, people liked her. The mean girls became the outcasts of the school, and it was probably better off this way.

Every day, Chaewon thanked the universe for bringing Heejin into her life. The two of them had just clicked, and she trusted her more than anyone else. She was like a sister. She still got along with other people, like Yeojin and Yerim, for instance, but no one even came close to Heejin. She was her rock.

“Chaewon, you’re eating with us again tonight, right?” Heejin’s mom asked.

Chaewon had not heard from her mother in years, and Heejin’s mom felt more like a mother to her than her own.

“I’d love to!” she replied.

They both were sitting on the couch, waiting for Heejin to come back from an appointment she had with her general practitioner to get a certificate stating she could do sports again. She had sprained her ankle a few weeks ago, and had to stop going to PE classes until her ankle got better and the doctor gave her a paper stating so. Chaewon glanced at Heejin’s mom who was absorbed by the movie they were watching. It was funny how she could hang out at Heejin’s place even when her friend was not around. Everyone there was used to her presence. She could be part of their furniture.

The front door opened and, a few seconds later, Heejin was in the living room.

“My ankle is still sore. I can’t do sports yet” she pouted as she plopped between the two others on the couch.

Heejin was not sporty, but for some reason Chaewon did not understand, she was very upset about not attending PE classes. She lied down, extending her legs on her mother’s laps and placing her head on Chaewon.

“Oh no, please, don’t tell me you guys are watching Love Actually!” she said.

“Yes, we are. You have no taste, Heejin” Chaewon said.

“Christmas is tomorrow, it’s about time we get in the mood!” Heejin’s mother added.

“Whatever, I’ll watch it with you and pretend love is not disgusting” Heejin replied.

Chaewon and Heejin’s mother exchanged a glance. Where did this come from? None of them seemed to have a clue. They silently decided to focus on the movie instead.

* * *

“Do you wanna sleep over?” Heejin asked as they finished watching the third episode of Sky Castle in a row on Heejin’s bed.

“The day before Christmas eve? I’m not sure I can” Chaewon pouted, visibly upset.

There was nothing she would like more than sleeping over. She would even live there if she could.

“Why don’t you ask your dad?” Heejin suggested.

“You know he doesn’t care, Heej. It’s my stepmom I’m thinking about. She tries her best to make me feel welcome, but I keep avoiding spending time with her. I never want to be there, but maybe I should put in some effort for Christmas, you know?”

Heejin placed her head on her friend’s chest and wrapped her arms around her.

“Chae, you’ll spend Christmas eve with them tomorrow. Don’t pressure yourself into spending more time with them if it makes you uncomfortable. Christmas eve is enough. It’s already a lot. It’s the first you’ll all spend together, right?”

Chaewon felt comforted by Heejin’s warmth, so she wrapped her right arm against her back. Maybe her friend was right and she did not have to go home tonight if at least she put on a happy façade to spend Christmas with them the day after.

“Maybe you’re right. I’ll tell her I’ll stay over tonight.”

She extended her left arm to grab her phone and managed to text her stepmother to let her know that she was staying at Heejin’s for the night. She then started stroking her friend’s hair.

“Thank you, Heejin” she whispered.

“For what?” her friend asked, confused.

“For always being there for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You would be a mess!” Heejin teased her.

Her bestfriend did not know how right she was. She would be a mess. She could not possibly imagine a world in which she would have to come home everyday instead of going to Heejin’s. She could not imagine having to endure everything on her own without anyone to complain about it to. Heejin knew just when to listen and when to distract her. She could sense when something was wrong, and always found the right words to comfort her.

“Yeah, I would” she replied in a tiny voice. “Anyway, should we keep watching Sky Castle or should we do something else?”

“What do you want to do?” Heejin asked.

“I’m fine watching Sky Castle.”

“Then, Sky Castle it is.”

Watching dramas with Heejin under her blankets was the most relaxing thing she could imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this one might be a bit slow, but please bear in mind it's a day-to-day story and an exciting thing can't happen everyday! Especially when the story has to be 365-chapter long!  
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the Christmas eve chapter tomorrow! I'll make it special :)  
> Thank you a lot for leaving kudos and comments!
> 
> P.S.: Stream Psycho by Red Velvet


	12. Christmas Yves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!  
> I hope you have a great time with your family, friends, or whoever you spend Christmas with! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you still have a fun time for the end of the year :)  
> Enjoy this Christmas Yves special chapter!  
> See you tomorrow for Christmas day!

**December 24**

**HYEJOO’S POV**

Hyejoo had never particularly liked Christmas. To her, it was more of an exchange of formalities and gifts with her parents than a real celebration. When she was little, her mother used to bake with her, and make her do fun things on Christmas eve. But for a few years, both of her parents had been very busy with how well their bakery worked, and Christmas time was the worst for them. They used to celebrate on Christmas morning, but now they had to do it on Christmas eve because they woke up at 3am to bake. It did not take long as they had to go to sleep early. They exchanged gifts, kind words, and all went to sleep.

She had gotten so used to it that she did not know how to feel about a big family celebration. Especially with a family that was not hers. It did not help that Yeojin would not be there. She had gotten used to hanging out with her and Yerim. She was still not the most talkative person, but she felt more comfortable with them. It was hard not to be comfortable around Yerim, who was like a soft ray of sunshine. Yeojin was loud, which hurt Hyejoo’s sensitive ears sometimes, but she was very funny and fun to be around. The two of them would not be here that night, as they were both at Yerim’s. Right when Hyejoo would have needed to feel a familiarity.

She looked around her. Yeojin’s grandmother’s house had been entirely decorated with Christmas lights. A tall and wide tree was standing in the living room, with piles of presents at his feet. Hyejoo did not get anyone a present, except for Sera, because she did not know the others well enough to find a gift they would like. Since Sera was a warden, she had gotten her something she knew she would not have, and would appreciate: the latest Dreamcatcher album, limited edition. She had heard how the woman had taken a liking into the group, and thought it was an easy gift.

“Hyejoo, you’ll sit next to Haseul” Chungha said. “Kahei, you’ll sit right here.”

All of the family looked comfortable with her already, as if she had always been there. They did the same for Kahei, Haseul’s friend… or girlfriend? It was unclear. Maybe they did it for every stranger. Still, she was glad she was invited to spend Christmas with them, in such a warm atmosphere. She could see, like the first time she saw them last week, all the love they shared. They might all come from different worlds, but they were a very united family.

Hyejoo sat where Chungha had told her, and was soon joined by Haseul and Kahei.

“So, Hyejoo, how was your first week of school? Was Yeojin helpful?”

Hyejoo had noticed that Haseul did not miss an occasion to ask questions to make sure someone was comfortable. She seemed very sincere, like she cared for real. She probably was.

“It was okay! Yeojin really helped. Yerim too. I’m in the same grade as Yerim, so I hung out with her more.”

Haseul’s face brightened even more – if such a thing was possible – at the mention of Yerim.

“Ahh Yerim is wonderful! She’s very kind and positive. I’m sure she put you at ease from the beginning, didn’t she?”

Hyejoo smiled. The first minutes, she had felt awkward, but indeed, she felt better very fast.

“Yes, she does have a way to make you feel welcome.”

Haseul nodded.

“I’m glad, then. I can’t wait for them to come together for Christmas next year. This one will be a bit quiet without Yeojin’s loudness and lousy jokes.”

Hyejoo chuckled.

“Oh I don’t think they’re lousy, honestly. They’re very funny.”

“You’re right, they are” Haseul replied.

Hyejoo noticed that the two of them had been chatting without including Kahei.

“So, how long have you two been together?” she ventured, unsure about her question.

Kahei’s jaw fell in apparent surprise, and Haseul laughed out loud.

“Kahei and I? We’re not together.”

Hyejoo blushed furiously. She had made a mistake.

“Oh I’m sorry… I thought that since Yeojin spent Christmas with her girlfriend you might spend it with yours.”

“It’s okay. Kahei’s my friend who spends Christmas here because she can’t fly to see her family in Hong Kong” Haseul pouted, visibly upset for her friend.

So Kahei was just like Hyejoo. A complete stranger to this family or almost, that they had taken in as an act of kindness. She had forgotten a long time ago what warmth meant within a home. She knew her parents loved her and were proud of her, but their relationships had become kind of impersonal. They barely saw each other. They did not share anything anymore. And they could not imagine them inviting anyone over and making them feel like home since the feeling of home was long gone. It was probably why it was not a big change for Hyejoo to stay with Sera. Most kids would feel homesick if their parents left to another country, but she did not care. She had had more human interaction at home in a week than in the last six months.

“Do you see your parents often, Kahei?” she asked.

“I haven’t seen them in two years” she replied.

Hyejoo could see sadness in Kahei’s eyes. She obviously looked like she missed them a lot.

“I’m sorry, that must be hard.”

The other girl just shrugged. Hyejoo could not explain it, but she felt for Kahei. The girl was so soft, she wanted to show her support and affection. Which was definitely not a normal urge for her.

“How have you been since your parents left, Hyejoo?” Haseul asked, worried.

“I’m good! Sera’s great, she takes care of me well.”

It was an understatement. Sera went out of her way to make sure everything was fine for Hyejoo.

“KIDS! It’s time to open the presents” Haseul’s grandmother shouted from the living room.

Hyejoo looked around to see where the kids were hiding, only to realize that the kids were her, Haseul and Kahei.

“We’re not kids anymore, grandma!” Haseul teased.

“You are my grand _kids_ , so you are kids. You will be your whole life. Now, give your gift to someone, will you?”

Their grandmother was funny. Hyejoo wondered how and old woman like her could still be so energetic. She kind of understood where Yeojin’s energy came from.

Haseul picked a gift from under the tree and gave it to Hyejoo. Haseul had gotten her a present? She did not have anything for her. This was unfair. She should have known. Maybe she should have gotten gifts for the whole family. It was an envelope, that the other girl had very carefully drawn on, making it her own design. She opened it carefully, as Haseul tried to chase her worries away.

“It’s nothing, really!”

How could Hyejoo believe that it was ‘nothing’ that Haseul had taken time to draw beautiful patterns on an envelope for her. It was enough of a gift already. But the gift card to her favorite video games shop was even more of a surprise. How could she have known?

“Yeojin told me you liked videogames” she said, as if she could read her mind.

So Yeojin really had listened. Sometimes, Hyejoo was wondering if Yeojin really listened to what they were all talking about, as she would change subjects very quickly. But she did listen.

“Thank you” Hyejoo said in a quiet voice.

She stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

* * *

**HASEUL’S POV**

Haseul could see Hyejoo did not know what to do, so she spontaneously hugged her. She wanted the girl to feel welcome. She was also relieved that she had liked her gift. When she had asked Yeojin what Hyejoo liked, she had replied with such nonchalance that she did not know if she could believe what she said. Turned out she had been right.

She let go of Hyejoo, and grabbed another small package that she had placed under the tree earlier, and gave it to Kahei. This present had been harder to make. She did not know Kahei that well, but she wanted it to be perfect. She wanted her friend to keep a great memory of this Christmas they would spend together, so she wanted a gift that would be long-lasting.

She had gone through about twenty shops when she finally decided to head for the Christmas market. It had been obvious when she had seen it. It meant a lot to her that Kahei ws there. She definitely hoped it would make the two of them closer, and help them to get to know each other. She could only imagine how lonely Kahei could feel, and she appreciated her way too much to not show her how much she did.

She gave the small package to her friend, anxious about how she would react.

* * *

**KAHEI’S POV**

Kahei grabbed the small gift Haseul had given her, hoping her friend had not ruined herself for her. She knew, from what the brunette had told her, that she could get pretty extra with gifts. She had even gifted a Nintendo Switch to Yeojin the year before that.

She very carefully unwrapped it. It was a small box, obviously for some kind of jewellery. She opened it to find a silver necklace, with a deer as pendant. She could feel her eyes burning, and warmth all over her cheeks. She had told Haseul once that the deer was a lucky charm to her. Once. And Haseul had remembered. She could not keep a tear from escaping her eye as she watched the carefully crafted piece of jewellery. It was beautiful, and very delicate.

“Here, give it to me” Haseul asked, as Kahei gave her the pendant without thinking too much.

Her friend came behind her, and hooked the necklace behind her neck. Kahei grabbed the pendant, looking at it for a second before turning around and hugging Haseul tightly.

“Thank you” she whispered in her ear.

She could feel Haseul’s embrace tighten, remembering how comforting her hugs were, the butterflies coming back. Haseul was the best emotional support Kahei could get.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**YEOJIN’S POV**

Yeojin grabbed Yerim’s hand under the table. Christmas was always magical, but it was even more so now that she got to share it with her girlfriend. At the touch, Yerim turned her head to her and smiled, sparkles in her eyes. She was so beautiful, with her purple hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked like a fairy. She looked like she could do magic to.

“Do you want more rice, Yeojin?” Yerim’s mom asked.

“No thanks, I’m good!” she replied.

Yerim’s father’s cooking was marvellous. She had eaten too much already.

“How about some desserts, then?” he asked, as if on cue.

Yeojin’s smile said enough. She did not have any room left in her stomach, but she would make some for a good dessert. Yerim’s dad brought a cake on the table. It was big enough for ten people, although there were only four of them. They all ate happily, chatting lightly, as they always did whenever Yeojin came.

The two girls were then allowed to leave the dining room for a while, and immediately went to Yerim’s room. They sat on Yerim’s bed, facing each other.

“I have a special present for you before we go downstairs to open the others” Yerim said.

Yeojin looked at Yerim, excited to know what it was.

“What is it?”

“Close your eyes.”

Yeojin closed her eyes, thinking her girlfriend would place a present in front of her. Instead, she could feel one hand on her thigh, and another one on her cheek. Yerim kissed her on the lips. She kissed her back, naturally. Her body reacted, but her mind was still wondering if that was the present. Yerim then kissed her in the neck. Yeojin could feel electricity on her skin and blood pumping through her veins. She was not used to this. Really not.

“You can open your eyes.”

Yerim was sitting in front of her. Yeojin looked on the mattress to see if a gift was set there, but none was. She was confused.

“That was my gift?” she asked, jokingly.

“Yes, it was.”

Yerim was obviously proud of herself. She could. It was an amazing gift. Yeojin did not have as much imagination, but she could try her best to make one just as good.

“Let me give you an extra gift too, then.”

* * *

**YERIM’S POV**

What kind of extra gift did Yeojin mean? Yerim had been bold, but she knew Yeojin was very imaginative, and she was as scared as she was excited.

“It’s only fair that you close your eyes too, you know?” her girlfriend told her.

She did.

She felt Yeojin sit on her lap, facing her. She was so light. Her hands started trailing along her back. A very slight touch, that she could barely feel but that sent shivers down her spine. Yeojin kissed her on the forehead, then on the lips, then under the jaw, her hands still moving on her back. That was much more than the present she had given her, but she would not complain. Yeojin hugged her, and she opened her eyes, hugging her even tighter, sniffing her perfume in her neck.

“I’m so glad we get to spend Christmas together” she said.

Her girlfriend cupped her cheeks and gave her a soft kiss on the mouth.

“Me too.”

“Girls, Santa’s come!” they heard Yerim’s mother call from downstairs.

None of them believed in Santa anymore, but Yerim’s parent still had the tradition of placing the presents under the Christmas tree after dinner, sending Yerim upstairs and pretending it was the time Santa came by to drop them. She kept playing along, because even though she knew it was not true, it was still a fun part of the night. She put her presents under the tree, joining those her parents had placed there, and those Yeojin had put there when she arrived.

They exchanged gifts methodically, each person receiving one, and then it was another person’s turn. Everyone was so happy. Yerim loved seeing her parents open each other’s gift. They were still happily in love after all these years, and she could only wish it would be the same for her and Yeojin.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**JUNGEUN’S POV**

Jungeun closed her suitcase, ready to go home.

“No don’t close it! You have one more thing to put in it!”

The black-haired girl threw herself on Jungeun’s bed, opening the zip of her suitcase. She looked at her, perplexed.

“What are you doing, Jinsoul?”

Her roommate stood up from her bed and went to her own, lifted her pillow up, and grabbed something underneath it.

“We won’t see each other tomorrow morning, so I’m giving this to you now.”

She handed Jungeun a present. It was in the shape of a rectangle, about the length of her hand, almost flat, and did not weigh much.

“You didn’t have to get me a present” she stated.

She had gotten one for Jinsoul herself, but had not been sure if the twenty-fourth in the morning was the right moment to give it to her, as it was early. She figured that she could actually give her present to her friend, since she had given her one. She placed the one she received on her nightstand, and opened the chest at the edge of her bed, to get her friend’s present. She handed it to her.

“We can open them at the same time” she said.

She remained methodical to avoid getting overwhelmed by how happy exchanging gifts with her roommate made her.

* * *

**JINSOUL’S POV**

Jinsoul and Jungeun had only about an hour to spend together before their parents would come and pick them up to go home for the holidays. She had figured it would be the best time to give her friend her present, but would have never expected Jungeun to gift her anything. Her face lit up when she saw the box in her friend’s hands. When the younger girl gave it to her, she held it against her chest, as if it was the most precious thing she had ever held in her hand, making her friend smile.

As Jungeun suggested, they opened their presents at the same time. Jinsoul took her sweet time unwrapping hers, while watching her friend’s reaction to her own in the corner of her eye. She would have sworn she could see Jungeun’s eyes tearing up at the sight of the eyeshadow palette she had bought her. It made her smile, but she would not say anything, knowing how discreet Jungeun liked to be about her emotions.

She focused on hers, and as soon as she saw the Gundam box, she cried. She, on the opposite, did not care about showing emotions.

“Jungeun… I’m… This is too much.”

She literally jumped to hug her roommate.

“Thank you so much” she said.

“Thank you to you too!” Jungeun replied, hugging her back. “I’m gonna miss you during the holidays.”

Jinsoul cried even more. Her friend expressing any kind of affection was the best Christmas present she would ever get from her. It was worth much more than a Gundam to her. She pulled apart, and placed a finger on her friend’s cheek.

“I’m gonna miss you too. Merry Christmas, Jungeun!”


	13. It's Christmas Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m very sorry to post this chapter late… My bestfriend’s father passed away yesterday, so I tried my best to be there for her and help as much as I could. I’ll do my best to resume updating every day, as I’ve done until now but the next few days might be difficult, I’m sorry.

**December 25**

*** HEEJIN’S POV ***

Heejin woke up to the sound of… silence. She was excited about Christmas and woke up naturally. It was about seven am. Her parents would not be up yet, but she figured it would give her time to cook them a nice Christmas breakfast. She got up, grabbed two of the letters that were on her nightstand and immediately went downstairs.

She walked through the living room, where a medium size Christmas tree was decorated. A lot of presents were underneath it, but she resisted the temptation to see which ones were hers. She carefully placed her two letters on top of the existing piles. She had written one for each of her parents. Just like the advent calendars, it was something personal. She liked making things by herself, rather than buying them. Which did not keep her from buying gifts. She simply wanted it to be more than just another item they could find anywhere. She put meaning into her letters.

She had also written another one for her crush, although she would never give it. She had contemplated confessing this way, but she was almost sure her crush had no idea who she was, and it would just be awkward. You can give letters to people you care about, who care about, and who will understand your innermost feelings. She could open up to a piece of paper and pour her heart out in her words, but giving the letter to someone, and giving them access to her feelings, with a possibility that they might crush them, was not an option.

She expressed her feelings a lot, by writing or drawing, but she always made sure no one could understand exactly what they were. Except her parents, she had meant for them to understand that she loved them, but that was an exception. She liked exposing her feelings to people in a way they would not understand, secretly hoping for someone to understand anyway, and see inside of her through her art.

Maybe she was too much of a poet. When she thought about it, she was pretty sure her crush would never understand her art. She did not seem like the type to be interested in it. Every time she thought about it, she would just shake the thought away, preferring to think to herself that her crush might not be interested in art, but would be interested in hers. She knew it was unrealistic, but a girl could dream, could she not?

Without further thinking, she left the leaving room and went to the kitchen to start cooking a nice breakfast for her parents.

* * *

At first, when Heejin opened her present, she did not understand. She had received a suitcase. She had never asked for a suitcase. Yes, of course, it was colourful, pretty, and looked resistant, but she did not understand why her parents would gift her that when she did not travel anywhere, ever. She smiled anyway, not wanting to upset her parents.

The next present was even more startling: it was a sleeping mask with cute rabbit drawings on it. Heejin’s bedroom was pitch black when she slept. She definitely did not need this one either. She noticed a note was attached to it: “For your flight.”

“Hmm… Why are you gifting me travel accessories?” she asked her parents, genuinely confused.

“You don’t like them?” Heejin’s mom looked upset.

Seeing her mom upset, the girl tried to reassure her.

“Yes, I do, of course, you chose them well! But I don’t understand.”

Her dad took a very small and very thin packaged from underneath the tree and handed it to her.

“Maybe this will help” he said.

Heejin carefully unwrapped it, revealing an envelope. She opened the envelope and found three tickets to… Japan. Her eyes opened wide and she could feel blood pumping through her veins. What did it mean? Was she going to Japan? Why were there three tickets? She looked at the dates. One week in February, after graduation.

“I’m going to Japan?”

Her parents smiled wide, seeing how happy it made her.

“Yes! We figured you could take one friend with you, and one of us would come to supervise, because you’re still underage” her dad said.

She jumped between her parents to hug the both of them at the same time.

“Thank you so much!”

It was all she could say. She had always dreamt of going to Japan, and now her dream was coming true.

“Say hi to Naruto from your uncle! He’s very jealous you get to go to Tokyo” her mom joked.

Heejin laughed. She was going to Japan. She would graduate, and then go to Japan. It was the most wonderful gift she had ever received. Her parents overdid themselves each year, but this one would be very hard to top.

Heejin did not get more presents, but the three she had were all that she needed.

* * *

* * *

* * *

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

It was five am an Hyunjin was exhausted. She had spent the whole night wondering what gift she could give to her stepsister. Not that she had not gotten any for her. She was polite enough to have bought her an Oh My Girl poster, but she had been reflecting whether or not she should slide a note into the wrapping paper.

She had written many drafts, that had all ended in her bin. And finally, she had found the right thing to say, but she had been wondering if she should give it to her or not. It did not feel right to give her anything, because she still thought Barbie Doll should not be there, but it did not feel right to not give the note to her, because she was indeed there, and she did not want to ruin her Christmas.

She had not slept at all. It took that much effort for her to just give a note to her stepsister for Christmas, and even at five am, she was still confused. She decided to give her that note. She placed the small paper with the poster, a bit hoping it would fall and Barbie Doll would never see it, and then she could hold it against her that she had not seen it. Hyunjin knew it was not right, but she could not help how she felt. Yet, she decided to make sure Chaewon could not miss the note by sticking it onto the wrapping paper, in a tiny envelope.

She went downstairs, and placed the gift under the tree next to the ones she had put there at three am, when everyone was fast asleep. She then went back to her room and lied on her bed, trying to fall asleep, but feeling too anxious to do so. Now that the present was downstairs, she started to overthink it again.

Time went by. She started hearing noise at seven thirty. It came from the parental suite across the corridor. The adults were getting up.

“Ouch!” she could hear her mother’s muffled cry.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think it would be that heavy!” her step dad whispered.

If he started hurting her mother on Christmas day, Hyunjin would be mad.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t careful enough” her mother replied.

She was mad at how kind her mother was to him when he did not deserve it. But she decided to ignore everything, until the house was quiet enough for it to mean that they had brought all the presents downstairs and were waiting for the kids to come. She got up, and opened her door, only to find that her stepsister was perfectly synchronized. The blonde smiled at her awkwardly and headed down the stairs first.

* * *

**CHAEWON’S POV**

Seeing Hyunjin in the corridor when she got out of her room was a problem. Chaewon had hoped Hyunjin would get up after her, so she would have time to go get her present from the garage. She would have to find another way to give it to her. She smiled awkwardly at her step sister and went down the flight of stairs, followed not too closely by the black-haired girl.

She went to the garage anyway, making sure to close the door carefully behind her as she grabbed the presents for her father and stepmother. She smiled seeing Hyunjin’s gift, it really was cute. It would have to wait there for a while. She went to the living room with the adults’ presents in her arms.

“Merry Christmas” she said in a tiny voice before placing them under the tree.

Everyone was there.

“We’ll give you kids your presents first!” her dad said.

He took two small packages in his hands and gave one to each girl. Hyunjin said thank you in a very formal way, but Chaewon made a point to smile warmly at her father. He was not there much, and more often than not looked like he did not care, but she loved him anyway.

She unwrapped cautiously the paper and squealed in joy as she saw a limited edition of an Oh My Girl album that was extremely hard to find. She glanced at her stepsister, who could not hide a smile seeing her own gift.

“I hope this is enough” her mother said.

The smile on the brunette face widened.

“Are you kidding? As if a two hundred thousand-won gift card for my favorite bakery wouldn’t be enough! Thank you so much!”

Hyunjin’s smiled was contagious. Chaewon might use this moment of joy to bring her her present. She went to the garage and got back a minute later with a big carboard box in her hands.

“I’m sorry I could not wrap it, but here’s your present from me, Hyunjin.”

She placed the box in front of her stepsister and took a few steps back, watching the girl’s reaction closely, anxiety filling her body. She was sure she would love the gift, but since it came from her, it might be a weird situation.

Hyunjin opened the top of the cardboard and literally screamed.

“OH MY GOD! YOU GOT ME A CAT??”

The happiness on her face was even more visible than that of receiving a gift card to her favorite bakery. Chaewon could tell that she had not been this happy in a long time. She felt glad. It had taken a lot of effort for her to ask both of their parents if they would be fine with it, and then she had to hide the kitten in the garage for a whole day without Hyunjin noticing.

The brunette took the grey ball of fur in her arms. And hugged it slightly before putting it on the floor so it could move freely. She grabbed a long, tubular gift under the tree and handed it to Chaewon. The blonde girl was definitely surprised to get a gift from Hyunjin. She had not expected it at all. She expected the small note attached to it even less.

It read: _Chaewon, thank you for covering up for me for the cakes. I should have said it was me, I’m sorry. I’ll remember that. Merry Christmas! Hyunjin_

Her stepsister had used her name, which she usually avoided, showed gratefulness and apologized to her? This might be her actual best present so far. Better than the album their parents had gifted her, and better than the Oh My Girl poster that came with the note.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**CHUUVES TEXTING**

Sooyoung: _Hi Jiwoo! Merry Christmas! I hope you’re not hangover anymore ;P_

Jiwoo: _As if! Merry Christmas to you too, Sooyoung_ _😊_

Sooyoung: _When are you coming back after the holidays? I have something to give you!_

Jiwoo: _Oh you got me a present? I have one for you too_ _😊_

Sooyoung: _Maybe it’s a present, maybe not! You’ll see!_

Jiwoo: _What is it?_

…

Jiwoo: _Sooyoung?_

…

Jiwoo: _I guess you don’t deserve your present, then!_

Sooyoung: _sorry I was pooping! I’m not telling you._

Jiwoo: _real classy. Well, I guess you’re not getting your present, then._

Sooyoung: _Jiwoo, I don’t need a present, but you definitely need what I have to give you!!!!_

Jiwoo: _whatever_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the special chapters I wrote for Christmas, and that you are having wonderful holidays with your loved ones!


	14. Furry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Thank you for your patience and understanding in such hard times. I'll try to catch up on all the missing chapters tomorrow and Monday.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

**December 26**

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

Hyunjin still could not believe her stepsister had gotten her a cat. She wanted to hate her, but somehow, after that, she could not. She still was not exactly welcoming, but she had quit being completely hostile. She did not have time for it anyway, as keeping her kitten from climbing the Christmas tree or scratching everything he could find kept her busy.

This little animal with its cute eyes and very soft grey fur was a lightning bolt: he was fast, and he created damage everywhere he went. Hyunjin loved him already. She had loved him from the moment she had laid eyes in the cardboard box. It had taken her time to find his name, but now she felt it suited him well: Furry. He had a coat of fur, and he came for Christmas, so naming him after the reindeer was obviously a good idea.

She kept talking to him, but realizing he did not understand what she said, she had started meowing, and the cat replied to her aeongs, which made it even funnier. She had tried to bark, but the poor animal had been scared and had run away from her, so she had not done it again. Not yet. She would get him used to it, but probably not right away. He needed time to adjust to their house.

Furry was great company. He could have been an independent cat, but she was lucky enough that he followed her everywhere. At first, she would not let him come with her to the toilets, but he had meowed so loudly outside the door that she had given up on forcing him to stay outside and now she let him come. It was annoying, but his loud meows were too heart-breaking. She was too happy to have him to want to separate. When she had to go buy him some toys, it was complicated for her to leave the house. Not only because it pained her, but because he tried to get through the door many times and she had a hard time stopping him from getting out.

Furry deserved the best, and that is why she went to the pet store that day. Although Hyunjin loved cats more than any other animal, she did not know them that well. She would probably need advice from the people who worked there. But she would try to find the right things on her own first. It was her challenge for the day.

She entered the pet store confidently and started to roam the aisles without any particular method. She went were her feet took her, looking at everything around her. There was dog food, dog toys, cat food, cat litterboxes – Chaewon had already gifted her one with the cat – there were tiny pets like guinea pigs, rabbits, and there was… Jeon Heejin. Hyunjin stopped dead in her track, hiding behind a shelf so the other girl would not see her. Out of all the people she could have had a crush on, she had to fall for Chaewon’s best friend.

Hyunjin had had that crush on Heejin since they had started high school almost four years ago. That was much longer than Chaewon had been her stepsister, but the whole new family thing made it more complicated now. Heejin probably hated her guts for mistreating the tiny blonde. She would never stand a chance. Very often, Hyunjin blamed herself for not having approached Heejin in the past years, when everything was simpler.

Still hidden behind the shelf, she watched the other girl crouch down next to a rabbit cage, and try to play with the pet from behind the bar. So cute. Not the rabbit. Heejin was very cute. She wore a smile, and even her deep voice took an endearing tone when she talked to the rabbit. Hyunjin sighed. She could be watching that girl for hours, but she had other things to do.

She walked fast to get as far away as Heejin as possible. She had been avoiding her for the past few years, and it would not change now. She finally found the aisle she was the most interested in: cat toys. There was a wide variety of toys to pick from, and she had no idea how she would find the best. She just wanted to get them all, but her allowance would not make it possible.

She looked at a tunnel. Cats loved tunnels, right? She could even teach him to go through it on cue. She had read online that with a clicker you could teach pretty much anything to any animal. Right. A clicker. She had to find a clicker first. She took a step back to get a better look at the shelves.

“Oh… Hi Hyunjin!”

She turned her head to the person who had called her name, already recognizing a voice she had heard many times before. Heejin was there, blushing. Her eyes opened wide. Never had Heejin talked to her, except when they had done group works together. She probably was embarrassed to find her here, after knowing everything about how she had treated her best friend.

“Heejin! Hi!”

Hyunjin tried to be cheerful, but all that could be heard in her voice was panic. This encounter was awkward. She was surprised. She had managed to avoid the other girl for years, and had successfully done so only a few minutes before, but now she had no choice but talk to her. She was not shy. The reason she had avoided Heejin was because she had been scared she would have grown too fond of her if she had talked to her. She would have gotten attached, but the other girl would have never felt the same way. So she had just avoided her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, to avoid a silence even more embarrassing that their impromptu encounter.

“I’m looking for a treat or a toy for my best friend’s cat that she got for Christmas” Heejin said and then paused, apparently realizing something. “I mean, it’s not her cat, but he lives in her house, so I figured I’d get him something, you know?”

Her best friend was Chaewon. Chaewon had gotten Hyunjin a cat for Christmas. Heejin talked about it so innocently, like Hyunjin did not know who her best friend was. She knew. She even knew what cat she was talking about, because it was hers. It could only mean her classmate did not know who she was. She had no idea about her being Chaewon’s stepsister. Why would Chaewon not tell her? Her stepsister and she had an agreement that they would not talk to each other at school, but Hyunjin would have never thought that she would have gone to the length of pretending not to know her even with when she talked with her best friend.

“That’s very sweet of you.”

Whether Heejin knew about her or not, that is what she would have said. She breathed. It was okay. It had to be.

“Thank you. I just have no clue about cats” she pouted.

Hyunjin smiled. Heejin’s pout was the cutest thing she had seen since she had left her house, and the cat in it.

“Do you think you can throw balls to them, like with dogs?” the older girl asked.

Seeing how Furry had played with the Christmas balls that had fallen from the Christmas tree when he attacked it, Hyunjin could tell he would enjoy a ball.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a great idea! He will chase the ball all over the house for a while!”

Heejin smiled, visibly relieved.

“Do you think so?”

Hyunjin stepped towards the shelf and grabbed a small squishy ball and handed it to her classmate.

“I think this should be good.”

Heejin grabbed the ball, her fingers slightly touching Hyunjin’s. The younger girl shuddered. Even if it was a brief contact, she could feel the other girl’s hand was very soft. How many times had she imagined she would hold it… She shook the thought away, feeling her ears starting to redden.

“Thank you, Hyunjin! I’ll tell you if the cat liked it. If you ever need my help for anything, please let me know!”

Hyunjin nodded. Heejin smiled softly at her, and left the aisle. She would never ask Heejin for help. She probably would not even talk to her again unless it was for school work, but she appreciated the offer anyway.


	15. Wherever You Will Go

**December 27**

*** HASEUL’S POV ***

The bell rang and Haseul got down the stairs three by three, almost falling, to open the door. Kahei was behind it, a shy smile on her face. The small brunette did not understand why her friend was still so shy after all the time they had been talking to each other, but she found it endearing. Her hair red hair was curled, and she looked like she was a movie star. She noticed the necklace she had gifted her for Christmas hanging around her neck.

“Kahei! Hi! Your hair looks so pretty!” Haseul said cheerfully.

She hugged her friend, told her to get in, and closed the door behind her.

“We can hang out in the living room or in my room, you decide! No one’s home anyway!” she said as her friend took her shoes off.

She smiled wide extending an arm to the living room, and then to the stairs to show her friends the options.

“Can we go to your room?” Kahei asked in a tiny voice.

“Sure, lead the way!”

Kahei started climbing up the stairs, and Haseul followed her.

“It’s the last door on the right” she said as they reached the top.

They got to the door, and Kahei stood in front of it awkwardly.

“Go ahead, open it!”

Kahei entered. Haseul could see her scanning every detail of the room, from the family and friends’ pictures on the right wall to the green bedsheets. She had forgotten that Kahei had never come to her house before.

“I’m sorry, it’s a bit messy” she apologized.

She was not known for being a tidy person. She liked a room to feel like someone was living there, and not like an impersonal, always clean, space. She had to make it hers with more than a few pictures and decorations.

“No it’s okay, it’s pretty!”

Haseul pointed to the bed.

“You can sit there if you want, it’s comfy!”

The redhead sat, and she brought her desk chair in front of the bed to sit across from her.

“So, what have you been up to since Christmas?” she asked.

Kahei looked up to the ceiling, as if thinking hard about what she had been doing. She then looked at Haseul and pouted.

“I have studied for finals.”

Haseul’s eyes opened wide. She could not believe it was all her friend could do during the holidays. This was unacceptable.

“Really? You’re supposed to be having fun, Kahei! It’s the holidays!”

Kahei looked to the floor, a sad expression on her face. Haseul suddenly remembered that her friend did not know that many people.

“I have an idea!” she said. “Why don’t you come live here until classes start again? It will be much more fun to spend the holidays together than if you stay on your own! You don’t have a roommate at the dorm, right?”

Kahei shook her head.

“That’s right. I don’t have a roommate.”

Haseul remembered she had told her she had a twin bedroom, but the roommate she had left after a week because she had found an apartment, and Kahei had been alone ever since.

“Come here, then! We’ll be roommates for a bit more than a week!”

She saw her friend hesitating, and it was like she could read through her mind.

“Don’t you even dare think you’ll be a burden!”

Kahei’s face reddened, proving she was guilty of having such a thought. Haseul put both of her hands on her friend’s shoulder and squeezed them.

“Come on, Kahei! It will be fun!”

Her friend matched her gaze, and they stared at each other for a while. She was waiting for an answer. Kahei could not refuse, right? They were friends, she had to feel comfortable enough to have a few sleepovers there. The more seconds passed, the more Haseul was feeling uncertain, but also confused. About what, she did not know. But she felt some kind of confusion.

“So, what do you say?” she asked, taking her hands off her friend’s shoulder and breaking their silent stare.

“Okay! I will have to pick up my stuff, though.”

Haseul got up and hugged her tightly.

“I’m glad you agreed.”

She let go and took her car keys out of her jeans’ pocket.

“We can go grab them now, if you want” she offered.

“Wait, you have a car?” Kahei asked, her eyes opened wide at the sight of the keys.

“You didn’t know? Yeah, I have one! It’s not a fancy one, but it takes me wherever I want.”

Kahei suddenly looked lost in her thought.

“We could go on a road trip some day” she said.

She had said that with such hope showing through her pupils that Haseul could not deny her that request. Plus, she had always wanted to take a road trip, but did not know who to have it with.

“You’d like that?”

Kahei nodded.

“I love travelling” she said.

Haseul took a mental note of planning the perfect road trip to show Kahei a lot of beautiful places in South Korea. From what she had understood from their previous interactions, her friend did not have time to visit a lot.

“Great! Then we’ll go on a road trip!”

She was genuinely happy at the thought of sharing her car with her friend for a few days. They could go camping, do stargazing, go to street markets in rural towns, go hiking… The possibilities were almost infinite.

“How about we do it after graduation?” she suggested.

Whether they would do a post-graduate degree or not, they would have two weeks off after graduation, it would leave them time to go on their road trip. Haseul had a realization. She felt her heart shatter to pieces.

“Unless you’re going back to Hong Kong?”

They had never talked about what they would do after graduating. The idea she could be losing her friend, that she had never thought of before, broke her heart.

“I’ll go back to Hong Kong for Christmas next year, not before that.”

Kahei seemed sure of what she was saying. Haseul still needed some clarifications.

“What will you do after graduating?” she asked.

“I’ll try to find a contract with an agency, to produce their songs. If that doesn’t work out, I can still find a job as a model somewhere. I’ll stay in South Korea anyway. I like it here” she smiled.

Haseul smiled back, reassured.

“For a moment, I thought I could lose you. I hated it” she said.

Kahei got up and hugged her firmly. Haseul could feel that, even if her friend went back to Hong Kong some day, she would never lose her. They would still be in touch. She was not ready to let go of her now that she had found her.


	16. Third-Wheel

**December 28**

*** YEOJIN’S POV ***

“You two are so clingy” Hyejoo said.

“That’s not true!” Yerim protested.

She had her arms around Yeojin’s wait and was sitting behind her, her head laying on her shoulder. Yeojin could hear her breathe. She was close. Maybe clingy, but she loved it. She would not have it any other way.

“You’re a hater, Hyejoo” she said with a smile.

“No, you’re just gross!”

Yeojin was glad Hyejoo felt comfortable enough with them to tease them all the time. She had grown used to them much quicker than she would have imagined, and had turned from a cold-looking person on the outside to a pretty warm and funny person now that they got to know her a bit more.

“I’m starting to think you’re jealous” Yeojin looked her straight in the eyes, the banter obvious.

“What? No! If I’m third-wheeling all the time, let me at least turn it into something fun” Hyejoo laughed.

“Oh right… I’m sorry Hyejoo” Yerim said.

Yeojin could feel her girlfriend’s arm loosen and her body move away from her. She would not have that. She grabbed her hands firmly, securing them into place on her belly. Hyejoo was only joking about third-wheeling. She did not seem that uncomfortable with the two girls being a couple. They did not have to keep a distance. But Yeojin knew she had to find a solution to avoid her cousin really feeling like a third-wheel later on.

“It’s okay, Yerim” the black-haired girl said, to reassure Yeojin’s pouty girlfriend.

“We do have to find a way for you not to feel like a third-wheel, though” Yeojin said. “Maybe we can invite someone else over?”

Yeojin had no clue who they could invite. She only ever hung out with Yerim. She could call Haseul, but as her cousin was much older than the three of them, it could feel weird. It was fine at family dinners, but Yeojin was not sure she was the right person to add to their group.

“Do you want me to text Chaewon? It’s been a while since we last hung out with her” she paused. “I really miss her sometimes.”

It made Yeojin sad to know that the two of them did not see each other as much anymore. She had always seen her girlfriend so enthusiastic about their Sunday brunch and about how she would get to do karaoke with her in her living room. Now that the blonde girl had moved, they were hardly even in touch.

“Chaewon is the queen of the high school, right? The blonde girl who hangs out with the arts club president?” Hyejoo asked.

She looked half interested, but Yeojin saw right through her. Her expression was too neutral to be normal. She tried to keep it that way to cover her curiosity. She could see she was only pretending not to remember who she was so they would not know how much attention she paid to all the details they gave her about Chaewon in the cafeteria before vacations. She feigned being uninterested, but she clearly was not. It was a behaviour pattern Yeojin had noticed, but Yerim still had not.

“Yes, that’s her! Should I text her?” the purple-haired girl asked.

“Yes, invite her!” Yeojin said.

Maybe Chaewon would be the right addition to their group so Hyejoo would not feel like a third wheel. She was only one year older than her and Yerim, and was nice enough. Moreover, she wanted to see how Hyejoo would act around her, since she was being so curious about her. Would she be as shy as she had been with them at first because, let’s face it, Chaewon could be intimidating? Or would she tease her too? The blonde girl was sweet, but she could tease well too, so it would probably turn into a contest of who would tease the other in the most clever way, and Yeojin was all for it, as long as she could get popcorn to watch it.

She felt her girlfriend’s arms unwrap her body, and shivered as she suddenly felt the chilly air of the room. Yerim lied down on her bed, where her phone was placed, as it was charging from the plug on the nightstand. Yeojin could see she hesitated a bit before typing.

Yerim to Chaewon: _Hey Chae! We’re at Yeojin’s right now, do you want to hang out? Hyejoo’s with us, she’s nice too, you’ll see_ _😊_

The three of them waited patiently, in silence, for a whole minute.

“I guess she’s busy” Yerim sat down on the bed and shrugged.

Hyejoo pouted, visibly disappointed. Yeojin could not tell if she was disappointed for Yerim, or for herself. However, thinking that, she started questioning if she was not just seeing too much into things.

“Well, we’re not gonna wait for her to reply to have fun” she said. “What do you guys want to do?”

“I want to watch a horror movie!” Hyejoo spontaneously said.

“It’s Christmas, not Halloween” Yerim protested.

Yeojin knew the true reason Yerim protested was because she was scared of horror movies and would do anything to avoid watching them. On the other hand, it was her chance to have an even clingier girlfriend, and to feel like the strong one even if she was considerably smaller.

“You can watch horror movies all year round” she said, hoping to convince her.

“Exactly! Thank you Yeojin!” Hyejoo added.

Yerim pouted, apparently conflicted. She seemed to be weighing her options.

“Alright, but don’t choose one with ghosts, okay?”

Yerim was scared of ghosts. She was probably afraid she would start to see them everywhere after watching the movie.

“Okay, how about we watch The Orphan?” Hyejoo suggested.

“Sounds good!” Yeojin said.

Yerim just shrugged. Whatever film they chose, she would be scared anyway. She looked at her phone.

“Chaewon replied.”

“What did she say?” Yeojin asked.

“She can’t come because she’s visiting her uncle in Busan.”

Her girlfriend looked disappointed. Yeojin hugged her from the side and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, hoping to make her feel better. She wished she could do more. What would Yerim like?

Suddenly, an idea hit her:

“How about we all go to an amusement park tomorrow?”

That was random, but the smile that appeared on her girlfriend’s face was enough to tell her the idea was good.


	17. Rollercoaster Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 70+ kudos and 1000+ hits. You guys are incredible! Thank you for your interest in my story. It makes me so happy!!  
> Thank you to those of you who left comments too! it always makes my day!

**December 29**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

Kahei had spent the last two days and nights at Haseul’s. It was unexpected. But then again, Kahei still never expected Haseul’s acts of kindness or displays of affection. She still did not understand what the other girl saw in her, and why she was always going out of her way to make her happy. Although she did not understand, she did not overthink it and simply enjoyed the nice moments life threw her way. Spending time at Haseul’s place was a happy moment.

Her friend had explained to her that her parents were on a business trip until after New Year’s Eve, and she that the house felt empty when they were not there. It made Kahei feel better about spending her time there. If it helped Haseul feel less lonely too, she was glad. She felt better being there too. She would never admit it, but she liked not sleeping alone. It was much warmer to sleep with the brunette, even though she snored sometimes.

She had gotten used to being alone, after three years in South Korea, but it was incredibly comforting to not be alone, for a change. Kahei felt she had found a good friend in Haseul, and she would not let her go.

“Are you ready? Can I come in?” she heard behind the bathroom door.

She put her mascara back in its case and unlocked the door on Haseul, who was wearing a green cap, and holding another beige one in her hand. Suddenly, Kahei had the beige cap on top of her head.

“See, we have matching caps now!” Haseul said with a wide smile. “Let’s take a selca!”

Haseul held her phone in front of the both of them, her bathtub in the background. Kahei was convinced she would never look as good with her cap as Haseul did with hers. It would be impossible to look as good as Haseul with her cap. For the first time, Kahei noticed her folded ear. It was weirdly cute.

“Kahei, look at the camera!” Haseul reminded her.

The ex-model looked at the camera, like a professional, for the first pic. On the second one, she managed to kiss her friend on the cheek, surprising her, and making her blush instantly, most of the red concentrating in her ears. Haseul laughed and looked at the pictures on her phone.

“I really like this one. I’m setting it as my lockscreen.”

Kahei smiled. They were good enough friends that she could be Haseul’s lockscreen. Another reason to feel happy.

“Can you send it to me too, please?” she asked.

“Of course!”

Haseul tapped her phone a few times.

“Here you go! Now, we’d better get going on this surprise trip!”

Kahei had no idea what Haseul had planned, but she trusted her to make it fun.

* * *

Haseul parked in the driveway of a small house. Three girls were waiting in the driveway. Kahei could recognize Hyejoo, because she had seen her for Christmas, and Yeojin because she had seen her the first time she had come to Haseul’s grandmother’s place, but she did not know the girl with the shiny, long, purple hair. She looked as bright as her hair did.

Haseul opened the door on her side, and Kahei did the same thing. The purple haired girl literally jumped on Haseul to hug her.

“Haseul! I’m so happy to see you! Thank you so much for driving us to the amusement park!” she said, enthusiastically.

“Come on Yerim, I’m not here to drive you, I’m here to have fun” Haseul winked at her.

So this girl was Yerim, Yeojin’s girlfriend, whom Haseul had talked about a lot; and they were going to an amusement park together. It was such a pleasant surprise. Once again, Haseul was unpredictable in the best possible way.

Yerim let go of Haseul and enthusiastically hugged Kahei. The Chinese girl was surprised by the gesture, as they did not know each other at all, but the hug felt so warm it made her smile.

“Kahei! I’m glad to finally meet you!” Yerim said.

Kahei bowed slightly.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Yerim.”

Yeojin suddenly interfered between Kahei and her girlfriend.

“Hey! We exist too!” she said, as she pulled on Hyejoo’s sleeve to bring her closer too.

Kahei laughed at the young girl’s antics. She remembered her being very funny, and she still was that day.

* * *

The five girls were roaming the park. They had decided to look at all the rides before choosing which one they went on first. Hyejoo absolutely wanted to go on the horror train, but both Haseul and Yerim had been opposed to the idea. They had ended up agreeing that Hyejoo and Yeojin would ride it together and that the others would not do it. Kahei would not have minded riding it, but she preferred staying with Haseul, anyway. It felt like she would be lost if they separated.

“We’re going on the rollercoaster thing first!” Yeojin said.

No one was opposed to that, so they all went. They could ride by groups of four. Therefore Yeojin, Yerim and Hyejoo took the first car, and Haseul and Kahei went in the one behind it. The train started to drive slowly at first. Kahei could feel Haseul being stiff.

“Are you scared?” she asked her friend.

Haseul nodded. Kahei grabbed her hand to hold it. Haseul smiled at her, and squeezed her hand, as a way to thank her for this comforting gesture. It comforted Kahei too. It made her feel nice.

The train started riding faster, and then it was doing loops.

“AMAZING!”

Kahei could hear Yerim’s shout from the car in front of them, even with the wind blowing in their ears. Haseul’s cap had almost fallen from her head when the train had started gaining speed, and Kahei had caught it just in time before it could fly away, and had taken hers off as well. She kept the two caps in her left hand, the right one still holding Haseul’s.

“Look Haseul! We can see far, it’s beautiful!” she said as they got to the top of the rollercoaster.

The other girl, who had closed her eyes, opened them to look. She smiled at Kahei. Seeing her friend overcoming her fear to open her eyes made her so happy. So far, this day was incredible.


	18. Ruling Over Sand Queendoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw// food

**December 30**

*** JUNGEUN’S POV ***

Jungeun’s mother had insisted that she went shopping for groceries with her. She had been reluctant at first, but had remembered how her mother only ever bought junk food, and finally preferred to come. Ever since she had been a child, she had had poor eating habits. She was even a bit overweight at some point, and that is why her mother had made her take dance lessons. It was easier than cooking better ingredients, right? Anyway, Jungeun had loved dancing lessons, so it was a win.

Still, nowadays, she paid close attention to what she ate. She even wrote it all down in a diary. She liked keeping track of things as much as she liked her bedroom to be clean and organized. She would not let the holidays ruin her self-imposed diet. She did not restrict herself in any way, but she was still careful about her choices. Her mother was not. She would just buy whatever she liked.

Her mother was already looking at the pastries on display. Jungeun saw her grab a box of cupcakes.

“Mom, don’t buy that. We have the same at work, I’ll make them for you if you want.”

She would not let her mother waste her money on crappy frozen cupcakes when she had been taught how to make them, and had successfully been making them almost every day for four months.

“I don’t even know how you manage to work there and not eat all the time” her mother said, impressed.

The thing was, when you work around food, you get so used to it at some point that you do not care anymore. Yes, it smells good, yes it looks good, yes it even tastes good. But since it is everywhere, all the time, you do not even pay attention anymore. When Jungeun is at work, she is there to do her job and earn money, not to marvel at all the wonderful pastries and fancy warm drinks she is making for the customers. Sometimes, she wished her mother was more down-to-earth and had saved money for her education instead on spending it on junk food. Yet, she would never tell her that. She knew her mother tried her best, so all she could do was try her best too.

“Your dad is coming home tomorrow, let me buy a bottle of wine to celebrate.”

Her dad had been away on a mission for a few months. He worked for the government, but neither Jungeun nor her mother knew exactly what he did. He was not allowed to talk about it. Jungeun thought it had something to do with nuclear power, but she was not sure.

“Oh!” her mother interrupted her trail of thoughts.

Jungeun turned her head to see what surprised her mother. A woman her age, and her daughter, were walking right towards them. Jungeun immediately recognized her daughter. The two mothers exchanged greetings and Jungeun’s turned towards her.

“You do remember Jiwoo, don’t you?” she asked, a wide smile on her face.

Yes, Jungeun did remember Jiwoo. From the night at the gay bar. Definitely not from here, in her home town. Why would she know her? Why did her mother know her?

“You were bestfriends in kindergarten!” her mother said, not leaving her time to reply.

Oh. Jungeun’s mouth opened in the form of a circle. So the Jiwoo from the Loonatic was the same Jiwoo she used to build sandcastles with? The same Jiwoo she ruled over queendoms with? That was unexpected.

“Yes, I do remember.”

She mostly remembered Jiwoo whining about her friend Sooyoung when she was drunk, but she would definitely not say that out loud.

“Nice to see you again, Jungeun!” the redhead said with a bright smile.

She was more energetic and full of radiant happiness now than when she had last seen her. No wonder she would have never recognized her in the bar when she was all whiny. The Jiwoo she remembered from her childhood was the ray of sunshine she had in front of her in the grocery store. It made her smile. Her optimism had been contagious for as long as she could remember.

“Nice to see you too, Jiwoo” she replied.

“You know what? We’ll let you guys catch up while we finish shopping!” Jiwoo’s mother said.

Jungeun strongly disapproved of the idea of letting her mother shop on her own, but she could not say that. She smiled, as the two mothers linked arms while still pushing their trolleys and walked away.

“So, how have you been, Jiwoo? I hope you didn’t get too hungover” she said in a low voice so that their mothers would not hear, even from a distance.

The other girl laughed out loud.

“I was fine, Sooyoung made me hungover soup! I’m sorry for having been a whiny baby that night. I’m usually not like that” she said.

Jungeun nodded.

“It’s so weird to meet you here! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at the bar. You’ve changed so much! I must say growing up really made you gorgeous!” Jiwoo said.

This compliment was unexpected, but when Jungeun thought about how she looked as a kid, and how she looked now, she understood where it came from.

“Thanks, I guess! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you either. You still look the same, just more grown up. You’ve always been a cute kid and now you’re a cute adult!”

Her old friend giggled. It could have been weird, talking to her kindergarten best friend whom she had not seen since primary school started, but since they had accidentally met a week before, they had things to say to each other.

“I guess so! My high school friends called me a walking aegyo.”

Jungeun could see why. However, she would not ask for a demonstration.

“I’m sorry Jiwoo, it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, but I’m very worried about what my mother could be buying right now. I’d better make sure she doesn’t buy only pizzas or hamburgers.”

“Alright! I’ll see you around at uni, I guess?”

“Yes, sure!”

They had not crossed paths only once since the school year started, but since they had met twice in a week, Jungeun had a feeling they would see each other again pretty soon. She smiled and hurried away to find her mother.


	19. New Year's Yves

**December 31**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

Jinsoul missed her dorm. She used to think Jungeun was a complete clean freak, and that she sometimes took it too far. But living in the chaos of her family home, she suddenly found it much more appealing to spend time in the quiet cleanliness of their dorm room, with Jungeun who could be quiet enough to study, but also lively enough to have vivid conversations with her.

Her little sister was a teenager like any other, always at their father’s throat. She did not know when Ryujin had become such a brat. It did not make it easy to share the house with them as there were lots of fights and shouts. Sometimes Jinsoul tried to reason with her, but there were two possibilities: either her sister would understand – but keep acting up anyway – or she would completely shut her out and get even more mad, because Jinsoul ‘could not understand’.

Jinsoul’s teen years were not that far behind her. But indeed, she had been a quiet teenager, only speaking up about what she felt were injustices. If something was not fair, whether for her or for others, she would get loud about it. But she would not try to find every opportunity to attack their father, which her sister did. She indeed, could not understand.

Sometimes she thought that, if at least their mother was there, it might make it easier. Maybe her sister was reaction because of abandonment issues. She did not know. Her mother had died when Jinsoul was four years old, and her sister had barely been born. She had almost no memory of her, and her sister could not have any. They had always lived with their dad, who had always made huge efforts to bring them up in an environment as healthy as possible, while giving them all the freedom they needed. They had been happy kids.

“I’m going to Yeji’s” her sister said.

She was like twelve – seventeen years old, in fact – and yet, she would spend New Year’s Eve with her friends. That is how cool their dad was. Jinsoul was not allowed to spend New Year’s Eve with her friends until she was nineteen. But then, she did not want to party on that day anyway, so she never did.

Instead, she would spend the night playing board games with her father. They would wait for the countdown and go to sleep right after midnight because they did not have anything better to do. Nothing would be different this year. At least her sister would have fun.

“Call me if you need someone to pick you up” Jinsoul said.

“I’m sleeping over” Ryujin said, as if it was obvious.

“I know, I’m saying that just in case. You can call me if anything happens.”

Despite her sister often being an ass to her and their father, Jinsoul was protective of her. She would not let anyone hurt her, and she would not let her hurt herself either. She could not be there for her when she was in school, so she tried to make up for it during the holidays.

“Nothing will happen” the pink-haired girl replied, settling the matter.

Jinsoul knew better than that. She had partied quite a lot herself once she got away from home for university. Parties could get out of hands sometimes. Although her sister had told their dad that her friend’s parents would be there and that alcohol was not allowed because they were underage, Jinsoul knew it was not true. She had heard how people around her would make their plans in high school. She could only hope her sister would be fine.

Ryujin turned around and headed towards the front door.

“Ryujin, wait! Do you want me to give you a ride?” she offered.

Her sister seemed to ponder over her words for a few seconds.

“Sure. It’s easier than taking the bus. Thank you.”

Jinsoul got up from the couch, grabbed her car keys and joined her sister on the porch. They both got into the car, and Jinsoul turned on the engine.

“I meant it when I said you could call me. Like if you’re drunk and feel bad, or something like that.”

“There won’t be alcohol.”

“Oh cut the crap, Ryujin, I know damn well what New Year’s Eve celebration for high schoolers are like.”

“You’ve never been to one.”

Jinsoul rolled her eyes.

“It’s not because I never went to one that I don’t have friends who did.”

“You have friends?” her sister’s tone had turned from defiant to playful.

Jinsoul laughed.

“Shut up. I do have friends!”

“Yeah, like your roommate who you’re completely in love with?”

Jinsoul’s eyes opened wide and she almost took the wrong turn out of surprise.

“Jungeun?! I’m definitely not in love with Jungeun. I don’t know where you get that from.”

If anything, she considered Jungeun as a little sister. The little sister she had when she was away from her real little sister. It felt like incest to think she could be in love with Jungeun. _Ew_.

“You’re always talking about her.”

It was true. Jinsoul talked about Jungeun a lot. Because she spent a lot of time with her, and because she had a good influence on her. It was funny because although the black-haired girl considered the younger one as her little sister, it was the latter who influenced the former a lot. Since they had bunked together, Jinsoul had studied more, and her grades had gotten higher. She had also paid more attention to tidiness and she had gone out less in order not to wake up her friend if she came back late. She had stayed in much more.

“You’re right. That’s because she’s a good friend. Like you always talk about Yeji.”

Surprisingly, her sister blushed and did not say anything. Something was suspiscious.

“Wait… do you have feelings for her?” Jinsoul asked

“Of course not!” she got defensive.

Jinsoul would not insist, but it made her smile. It was funny seeing her sister who was always so fierce act like a flustered baby.

“Well, we’re at your girlfriend’s place, get out of the car!” she teased.

“SHE’S NOT MY GIRLF-“ she interrupted herself as she saw Jinsoul’s smile. “Oh my god, just shut up, Jinsoul!”

Jinsoul chuckled, and her sister got out of the car, slamming the door shut, visibly mad. The older sister knew she was more embarrassed than mad and that she would get over it in a few minutes. She smiled again as she pulled out of the driveway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I wish you the very best for this new year and decade!


	20. Puzzled

**January 1**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

Yerim woke up her arms wrapped around her girlfriend.

Except, when she opened her eyes, Yeojin had black hair, which was unusual. It could only mean the person she was hugging was not Yeojin. Yerim stopped moving, panicking. It was Hyejoo. She had accidentally been spooning Hyejoo.

After having spent New Year’s Eve together at Haseul’s place, the girls had to find sleeping arrangements. Haseul and Kahei had slept together in Haseul’s bed, like they had for a few days, and Yerim, Yeojin and Hyejoo had to sleep in Haseul’s parents’ king size bed together. It was big enough for the three of them, so it was not a problem, but Yerim was now really embarrassed. She took her arms off Hyejoo, moving carefully not to wake her up and stared at the ceiling. She could turn on the other side, and spoon her real girlfriend and pretend nothing happened, hoping that none of them had noticed, but she was somehow paralyzed.

If she had not even noticed she was spooning the wrong person, what did it mean about her relationship? Was Yeojin’s warmth comfortable because it was Yeojin, or could any other human being provide her with the same? Her body had seemed to react instinctively. She only knew Yeojin, so she thought that it was a special thing coming from her. But maybe she was wrong.

She tried shaking the thought away. She was in love with Yeojin. She loved her, and being around her brought her the more happiness and joy than anything in her life. She was sure of that. Yet, suddenly she was left wondering what would be different if she was with in a relationship with someone else. The only kind of relationship she knew was the one she had with Yeojin. She hoped it would be the only kind of relationship she would ever know. But she was still curious.

What would it be like if she dated Hyejoo instead? She let her mind wander.

* * *

_Yerim was laying in bed next to Hyejoo in her own bed, in her own room. The sun was already high in the sky, and the other girl was still hibernating. Yerim slowly tried to get up._

_“Where are you going?” a grumpy Hyejoo asked._

_“I’ll make you breakfast” she answered, smiling._

_“Can’t you just stay here?” the black-haired girl groaned._

_Yerim knew she could not resist, so she got back in the bed. The other girl’s arms immediately wrapped around her, and she could feel her head settling in her neck. Hyejoo’s body size was the right one to make her a big spoon._

* * *

Yerim opened her eyes. She could not think about such things. Hyejoo was her friend, and Yeojin was her girlfriend. Plus, she liked how Yeojin was like a koala baby when she was the big spoon. She decided to turn towards her girlfriend, who was in fact facing her. She ran her finger along her face, as she was sleeping peacefully, finding it funny when her nose cringed in her sleep when she got to her lips.

The whole picture of her girlfriend’s face as she slept was so peaceful. It was a sight she could never get tired of. She put her hand under her head, and stared at Yeojin for a few minutes, but then, the smaller girl opened her eyes. They stared at each other silently. Yeojin grabbed a lock of Yerim’s purple hair and put it behind her ear. She smiled. What a smile. She then pointed to the door, signalling that she would get up. Yerim nodded.

She watched Yeojin stand up and put her frog onesie over the tank top and shorts she was wearing. She was so cute. She got up too, and they headed towards Haseul’s parents’ bedroom door. Before exiting, Yerim glanced at Hyejoo, who had not moved at all, unphased. If she had not budged when they both got up, she probably had not noticed Yerim spooning her. That is what she was hoping for, anyway.

Yeojin grabbed her hand, and they got down the stairs as silently as they could, but Yeojin almost fell and could not contain a slight laugh. Yerim placed her hand on her mouth to shut her up, but Yeojin pretended to bite it. The purple haired girl mouthed a playful ‘ _ew_ ’. When they got to the living room, they were surprised by Haseul and Kahei already being there, chatting on the couch.

“Hi kids!” Haseul said with a bright smile. “I hope we didn’t wake you up.”

Yerim had been awake for a while, and she had not heard a single noise coming either from Haseul’s room, or from anywhere in the house. They must have come down there earlier than she woke up.

“Stop calling us ‘kids’!” Yeojin said.

“No, you guys are incredibly silent” Yerim added.

Haseul and Kahei exchanged a surprised glance and smiled. Yerim wondered what they had been up to all this time.

“We’re going out for breakfast! Is Hyejoo still sleeping?” The brunette asked;

Yerim nodded.

“We’ll wait for her, then” Haseul concluded.

“What were you guys doing until now?” Yeojin asked, plopping on one of the armchairs.

She gestured for Yerim to sit on her laps, which she did. She was always scared of crushing Yeojin, as she was so small, but she knew it was all in her head, because her girlfriend was actually surprisingly strong.

“We were talking about how we crushed you at Just Dance last night” Kahei said.

“THIS IS NOT TRUE!” Yeojin shouted.

Yerim slapped her on the shoulder. Obviously, her girlfriend was loud early in the morning, and it usually did not matter, but this time, someone was sleeping.

“Shut it Yeojin! You’re gonna wake Hyejoo up!” she said.

Yeojin shrugged.

“We’re waiting for her anyway.”

Yerim rolled her eyes. Her girlfriend was right, but it was not a reason to wake others up. They had all gone to sleep late, and maybe the black-haired girl needed more sleep than the others. To be honest, Yerim did not want to deal with a sleep deprived Hyejoo.

As if on cue, the taller girl arrived in the living room, in her oversized shirt and sweatpants, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

“What did I miss? Did you fight?” she asked in a sleepy voice, right before yawning.

“Of course not! Why would you think that?” Haseul asked.

“Yeojin screamed.”

“When does she not scream?” Haseul joked.

“You’re right.”

Yerim smiled. Sleepy Hyejoo was not as grumpy as she would have thought. She was in fact pretty cute, with her hair dishevelled and her sad puppy face.


	21. Kick It or Kick Her Out?

**January 2**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

Sooyoung opened her eyes, glad that she did not have a headache. She had spent the whole first day of the new year resting because she had a hungover and was relieved that it had not lasted until the second one. She had heard that when you get older, hangovers last longer. She wondered how old you needed to be for it to start, but she was just glad she was still young enough.

She unlocked her phone, only to see that she had received a text.

Jiwoo: _I’m coming back to town today. My dad wanted to make sure I study before midterms, so he asked my mom to bring me back here early._

Jiwoo’s dad was probably insane. His daughter spent all her free time studying, barely allowing herself to have a social life. He knew it and still asked for more? Sooyoung could never tolerate it from her parents. She was glad they and sister lived in another country and only came to visit once a month. They did not really care if she succeeded in her studies or not, as long as she was able to care for herself and was happy. They were rich enough that she did not need a university degree, because she could never work a day in her life, and she would still be fine financially.

Sooyoung: _wanna hang out?_

She did not know if Jiwoo’s dad would let her leave the house, but she tried anyway. She was curious about the present Jiwoo had gotten her. But more importantly, she wanted to see her face when she would give her her surprise.

Jiwoo: _I can’t today. How about tomorrow?_

Sooyoung half expected it. She was neither surprised nor disappointed. She would find something else to do that day.

Sooyoung: _sure! Let me know when you’re free!_

She was about to put her phone back under her pillow to go back to sleep, but she received another text.

Unknown number: _Hi Sooyoung! I had a fun time with you on New Year’s Eve, and I was wondering if you were free to get coffee today?_

Sooyoung had no idea who it was, but she could not ask without sounding rude. She thought for a while, trying to put the pieces of the party together. She had gone to the Loonatic. She had hung out with two boring girls, and then had noticed how a group of four girls were ruling the dance floor like it was their queendom, and had finally decided to join them. Especially because one of them was gorgeous. She had danced with them, and then a racy song had come on, and she felt drunk and gay, and had kissed the one she had noticed at first.

Although it had not gone further than a make out session on the dance floor, she remembered being completely hammered and giving her phone number to the girl when she asked for it. She usually did not do that, but had been more drunk that night than usual. She remembered the girl vividly: long blonde hair, flannel shirt. She also remembered her name, because she had an English name but used a Korean one. Park Chaeyoung.

She hesitated before answering. Maybe it was best that she did not stay in touch with that girl whom she had seen once, at a party, when she was completely drunk. She usually did not stay in touch with the girls she met at the Loonatic. She did not want to. Probably because they often ended up in her bed, and a one time thing was enough for her. Chaeyoung had not ended up in her bed. She had not gotten to know her on an intimate level. Maybe it was why she was still curious. Plus, she had given her her number so maybe it was a sign it was time for a change.

She pouted, perplexed. What wrong could come out of it if she accepted to see her? Maybe once sober, she would find her boring. She had no clue what the girl was like. She only knew that she danced well and that her lips were soft. Maybe she was not even remotely interesting. However, Sooyoung had to admit it was pretty unusual for her to get asked out for coffee. If you go out during day time and sober, you have to be able to sustain a conversation, right?

After all, she did not have anything better to do, since Jiwoo was not free. She had nothing to lose. And she liked a challenge. Trying something new was an interesting perspective. She saved Chaeyoung’s number, and replied.

Sooyoung: _Hi! Sure, why not? Tell me where, and when, and I’ll be there._

Whatever time and place it would be, she had better get ready. Ha Sooyoung would not go on a date, or whatever it was, without looking good.

* * *

Sooyoung locked the toilets door, and took a breath. What was she supposed to do, now?

She was not used to bringing someone to her place in the daylight. Usually, her partners would just put their clothes back on and leave to get some sleep because it was late at night. But this time, it was still early. Was she supposed to ask her to stay for dinner? Could she kick her out without being rude? For the first time in a while, she was lost. It did not help that she would not mind talking with her more, as they had found a few common interests when they talked at the café.

These things were usually easy for her, but this time, it was more challenging.

First things first: if she was in the toilets, she should start to pee.

Unfortunately, urinating did not solve her issues, and she was still left with the same questions when she flushed the toilets, wishing her worries would have gone down the pipes as well. She opened the door and found the other girl getting dressed. Was she about to live? Or did she simply not want to stay naked?

“I’m sorry, I can’t stay. Jennie texted me. Apparently there’s an emergency with Lisa’s cat” the blonde girl said.

“Alright, good luck with the cat!” Sooyoung said, as she walked around her apartment gathering the items of clothing she had shed around earlier to put them back on.

The other girl finished getting dressed and left at once. Sooyoung was dumbfounded. No one had ever been this quick to leave her place. She wanted to think it was because of the emergency, but a part of her suddenly thought it was just an excuse. Something that usually did not happen ensued: her self-confidence was breaching. Was there a problem with her? She was used to finding a way to get people out when they wanted to stay for the night. They almost always wanted to stay. Why was Chaeyoung any different? Was it Sooyoung’s fault? Or was this girl as independent as she was? She had to know. She had to see her again, either to understand what went wrong, or to do better.


	22. No Questions Asked

**January 3**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

Jiwoo closed her notebook. She had memorized her chapter a long time ago. She wanted the holidays break to be… a break. But she knew how worried her dad always was. He was not pressuring her in any way, he was just a very stressed man, who unfortunately communicated his stress to others. If she had agreed to come home early to study, it was only so he could relax a bit. She did not need extra studying, and was actually looking forward to hanging out with Sooyoung.

She had spent so much time studying outside of classes that she had not even taken the time to connect with other people here. At university, she basically only knew Sooyoung. And Jungeun, although they had crossed paths only by accident. She wished she could see her again, even though it would probably be weird. They knew each other when they were kids and had both grown up a lot since. Jiwoo had moved in primary school to follow her father when her parents divorced, and Jungeun had always stayed in the same countryside town, which is why they had never seen each other again until they met at the Loonatic.

Jiwoo was very sociable. In middle school, she was surrounded by a lot of people. It was before Hyunjin’s dad died, and then, when her friend isolated herself completely from the others, Jiwoo had done the same, to stay with her. Now, they were separated anyway, and the only reason she did not have more friends was because she always had to study. She had perfect records, so it was probably worth it, but she wished she could meet more people, party more, live while she was young.

She grabbed Sooyoung’s Christmas present, left her room and stopped by her father’s office to let him know she was going out.

“I’m gonna hang out with Sooyoung, see you later!”

“Say hi to your girlfriend from me!” he replied, still looking at all the papers spread across his desk.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“I thought she was a girl, and your friend?”

Jiwoo blushed. Her brother had been calling all her friends “girlfriends” since she was a kid. How could she suddenly forget?

“Right.”

“Be back for dinner, I’m making homemade strawberry ice cream.”

Jiwoo jumped in excitement, and went to kiss her dad on the cheek.

“Thank you!”

She left.

* * *

When the door opened on Sooyoung, Jiwoo jumped to hug her. She did not know where this sudden burst of affection for her friend came from, but she was indeed very happy to see her. Seeing how Sooyoung laughed, she did not seem to mind. One of the things Jiwoo liked about Sooyoung – and there were many – was that although her friend was independent and seemed not to care about anything, she was in fact sweet and affectionate. She looked strong on the outside, but was soft on the inside. Full of surprises like a Kinder chocolate.

“Merry Christmas and happy New Year Sooyoung!” Jiwoo said.

She handed her friend her present.

“You don’t deserve it, but I’m giving to you anyway” she joked.

Sooyoung grabbed the box and shook it next to her ear to see what sound it made. It did not make any. Jiwoo smiled. She knew what was inside the box, and she hoped her friend would like it.

The dark-haired girl started to unwrap the box. A look of surprise appeared on her face when she was a cardboard pastry box. Of course, Jiwoo had not bought her a pastry. Otherwise she would not have let her shake the box.

“Open it, dummy!” she said, eager to see Sooyoung’s reaction.

Her friend opened the pastry box and discovered the gift: a cap. Jiwoo had seen the old pictures of Sooyoung wearing a cap on her wall when she had slept there, and thought they suited her well.

“How did you know I like caps? I almost never wear them anymore?” Sooyoung asked, visibly moved by her friend’s gesture.

Jiwoo pointed to the wall next to them.

“You made it pretty obvious here.”

Sooyoung turned around, saw the pics and hugged Jiwoo tight.

“Thank you Jiwoo. It means a lot.”

She let go of her friend and put the cap on her own head. Jiwoo’s stomach did a backflip. Sooyoung was hot. She knew that already, because she had eyes, but it was different from how she usually was.

“I was very proud of my gift, but compared to yours, it’s lame.”

Jiwoo had already forgotten about Sooyoung’s gift, although she had teased it well.

“I’m sure it’s not true! What is it?”

Her friend handed her a piece of paper with numbers on it. Jiwoo’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“What is this?”

Sooyoung’s smile widened.

“Jung Jinsoul’s number.”

Jiwoo’s mouth dropped. Why did her friend think she wanted Jinsoul’s number? More importantly, how did she get it? Jiwoo could only hope Sooyoung had not said anything embarrassing about her, or even said she wanted the number, because it was not true.

“You don’t look happy!” Sooyoung’s panick showed in her eyes.

“I am” Jiwoo said. “It’s just… I… don’t know where you got it from.”

“Jinsoul’s in third year too. We have mutual friends.”

Jiwoo was not slightly reassured.

“I hope you didn’t say it was for me…”

“Come on, I’m not that dumb. I just asked for it, and they gave it, no questions asked.”

Jiwoo could not help but feel weird. She would hate it if her friends gave strangers her number without even knowing their intentions. She would not use this number. What would she have to say to Jinsoul, anyway? _“Hi! It’s Jiwoo, I’m late but I wanted to say sorry for having been whiny at the Ladies Night Out_ ”? No way. She had nothing to say to Jinsoul. She had said only once she found her pretty, and Sooyoung had interpreted it as if she had a big crush on her.

“Well, thank you, I guess!” she said, with a forced smile.


	23. Welcome Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> I'm finally caught up after this complicated two weeks! Thank you very much for your patience. Thanks to everyone who's shown appreciation for the fic by leaving kudos and comments. I still can't believe there are actually people who like my story. You are amazing!!
> 
> I hope you like what's going on in the story so far! Tell me who's your favorite ship in the comments, and your hypotheses about what's going to happen next!
> 
> See you tomorrow! (I'm glad I can finally say it again)

**January 4**

*** CHAEWON’S POV ***

School started in only two days. The holidays break had felt surprisingly shorter than Chaewon would have expected it too. The house felt less scary than usual, maybe because everyone was either focused on being pissed off by the kitten – that was her dad – or laughing at its antics. Maybe a kitten was the solution to unite all of them. Chaewon was not sure yet, but she was still happy that things got quiet for a while.

She had also been happy when Yerim had sent her a text to ask her to hangout. She had been scared that her friend would forget her when she moved, but it was not the case. She was a bit sad she could not join her, Yeojin, and the new girl, but she was still glad they thought of her.

No one would be home that afternoon, so she decided to invite Heejin over. She had realized she had never invited her since she had moved here, preferring to hang out at her place instead. It was not that she did not want Heejin to see where she lived, but rather who she lived with. Especially when her stepsister went to the same school they did, and Chaewon had never told Heejin who she was.

She had taken the time to check the whole to make sure no family picture was visible, putting them in a drawer, and making a mental note of where they all were so she could put them back in place later.

The bell rang. She opened it, but it was not Heejin, it was a delivery guy.

“I have a parcel for Kim Hyunjin” he said.

“She’s not here at the moment, can I get it for her?”

“No you can’t, Kim Hyunjin will have to come pick it up herself at the post office, with an ID that says she is Kim Hyunjin.”

At that exact moment, Chaewon saw Heejin arrive behind the delivery man. Chaewon could have cursed him for repeating her stepsister’s name so many times, and prayed to whatever god she could that her friend had not heard it.

“Alright, I’ll tell her that, thank you! Have a nice day!” she paused. “Heejin, hi!”

She grabbed her friend’s hand to pull her inside, making sure the guy noticed she had company so he would leave quickly. She did not even let him time to reply and closed the door.

“What was that about?” Heejin asked, taking her shoes off.

Blood boiled in Chaewon’s temples. Had Heejin heard who the guy was talking about? Hopefully not.

“He was delivering a parcel for my stepsister, but I couldn’t get it because she has to show an ID.”

“Oh okay” Heejin said.

Chaewon sighed in relief, then grabbed her friend’s coat, and placed it next to the other coats on a hanger.

“Oh it’s funny, this one looks like the one Kim Hyunjin has!” Heejin pointed out.

Of course it did.

“I don’t know, I’ve never looked at her coats.”

It was not a lie. Chaewon had never looked at Hyunjin’s coats because if she looked at Hyunjin for too long, she would get a death glare, and she did not want to try that out. She started to realize that bringing Heejin here was more dangerous than she had thought.

“Right. I don’t even know how I noticed either.”

Heejin scratched the back of her head and took a few step forwards, curious. She crossed the wide corridor and got to the living room.

“Woah, this is a nice house!”

“Only because I redecorated it entirely” Chaewon said, proud of herself.

“You have taste” Heejin approved.

When they had gotten there, the room was as dark as the mood of the owner’s daughter’s mood. Chaewon had offered to help to redecorate, and her stepmother had been glad to see some changes in the house. Of course, Hyunjin had been reluctant. It was one of the first times the blonde girl had been faced with her stepsister’s distaste for the change her and her dad were bringing by coming into their lives.

“Oh my God! He’s so cute!” Heejin squealed.

Chae noticed Furry had come into the room, running towards the girl he had never seen before. He rubbed his head against her leg, probably trying to put his scent there to feel comforted.

“What’s his name again?” the brunette asked, crouching down to pet the kitten.

“Furry” Chae replied.

Heejin scratched the cat’s head.

“Hi Furry! Do you like my ball?”

“He really does! Hyun-… My stepsister keeps throwing it across the room, and he picks it up and brings it back to her so she can throw it again. It’s so cute!”

Chaewon smiled at the thought. The whole situation of Hyunjin being so soft with the kitten made her believe that behind a harsh façade, her stepsister had a warm heart, and it gave her hope that maybe one day she would warm up to her too.

“Did you tell her it was from me?” Heejin asked.

“I did. She told me to say thank you.”

Hyunjin had just nodded with a poker face on, and told her to say thank you and immediately smiled at the kitten while throwing the ball, focusing on him rather than on the blonde.

“Has he made her be nice to you?” Heejin asked, worries showing on her face.

“Yeah she’s gotten nicer. I mean, it doesn’t feel like there’s hatred coming out of her nose every time she breathes anymore” Chaewon said with a shy smile.

Hyunjin had not become the nicest person she had ever met, but at least she seemed to be less bothered by Chaewon’s existence than she was before. She would accept any kind of improvement, and it was one she was satisfied with for now.

Heejin smiled.

“Good. Show me your room, now!”

The two girls climbed the stairs and stayed in Chaewon’s room to watch an anime until it was time Heejin got home. She left barely five minutes before Hyunjin got back home.


	24. The Ace

**January 5**

*** HYEJOO’S POV ***

Hyejoo sat down next to Yeojin, but this time, the table had been dressed for her there. She and Sera had not been late like they had the past two weeks. They got there before everyone. Hyejoo was starting to get used to these family gatherings. Everyone was nice, without a single exception. It was pretty rare for a whole family not to have any problematic individual. They had all been brought up in a loving environment and had pretty much turned out to be loving themselves, Hyejoo could tell.

“Kids, before I forget…” Chungha started. “I got connections with a dance studio this week. They said they were recruiting new members starting next week. They choreograph, train and make these fancy internet videos. Is any of you interested?”

“I already told you I’m not interested” Yeojin said, rolling her eyes.

“Be quiet, Yeojin, I’m talking to Haseul and Hyejoo.”

Yeojin laughed out loud, the thought of Haseul and Hyejoo dancing apparently hilarious. Haseul immediately replied that she did not have time for it. Hyejoo hesitated before speaking, but something inside of her pushed her to talk.

“I’m interested.”

Yeojin gasped. Even Haseul gasped. Hyejoo did not get why it was so surprising. She felt like she had to justify herself.

“I used to be part of a dance crew.”

“You... Dance?” Yeojin asked. “I thought you only played League of Legends and PUBG?”

Hyejoo rolled her eyes and shook her head. Of course she loved video games, and would gladly sit on her ass all day to play, but she liked exercising as well, especially dancing. It was a good outlet for her creativity, which she usually did not show the rest of the world. Dancing gave her self-confidence. She was a fairly good dancer.

“I haven’t danced for a few months. But I love it.”

“Wow Hyejoo, I would have never thought!” Yeojin said.

The tall girl shrugged. What she liked or not did not matter very much to others. She never talked about it, unless she knew it was something they had in common. She had talked about videogames with Yeojin and Yerim only because the two of them had talked about it first. And she omitted to say what level she actually was at. If they ever played to something that was not Just Dance together, they would be in for a big surprise.

“Show us a demo!” Yeojin said enthusiastically.

Hyejoo’s heart jumped in her throat. She looked around, hoping everyone would tell Yeojin off for having such a bad idea, but they all had curious looks on their faces. Blood came to her cheek.

“I haven’t warmed up.”

It was the only excuse she could think of. And in her opinion, it was a good one, because when she danced, she gave it her all, and she did not want to hurt herself in the process.

“Get up, go warm up, and come back with a choreo ready!” Yeojin insisted.

“I don’t have music to put on.”

“I have a loud speaker” Yeojin replied.

“And I have an internet connection” Haseul added.

She did not have a choice anymore. She was doomed. She had to do it. She rolled her eyes – which, one day, would probably get stuck there – and exited the room, under everyone’s gaze.

“Where are you going?” Sera asked.

“I’m going to warm up.”

Yeojin had challenged her, and she was not one to back down from a challenge. Unless it was one where she had to run on a track during field day. The last time she had to do that, she had speed walked only to make everyone laugh, but everyone had said she was lazy. It still made her laugh when she thought about it. But dancing? She could do it well. She warmed up in the corridor, taking her sweet time to do it. If they wanted her to do something, they had better not be in a hurry.

Minutes after, she came back.

“Okay, Alexa play Cherry Bomb by NCT127” she said.

“My name is Haseul, but okay.”

“Are you sure? That choreo is hard” Yeojin said, trying to spare her from humiliation.

She nodded. Haseul and Yeojin played DJs and as the song started playing, Hyejoo danced to a choreography she had danced to a hundred times before. They had learned it with her crew, and performed it at numerous events. Her muscles knew every bit of it. When she got to the hinge where she had to lie down on her back, every one’s mouth was agape.

“Look at how she ate that! This is main dancer shit!” Yeojin shouted.

“Yeojin, watch your language!” Haseul said before Yeojin’s mom even had time to.

Hyejoo could not keep a smile from appearing on her face as she kept dancing. The rest of the choreography went just as smoothly. Even though Hyejoo had not trained for a while, she was glad to know she could still dance well.

“Wow Hyejoo! That was impressive” Chungha said.

“I had no idea you liked to dance!” Sera added. “I can coach you if you want! I used to bet the leader in a girl group.”

Hyejoo’s mouth opened in a wide triangular shape. There were many things they still did not know about each other despite living in the same house. She had no clue about Sera’s past.

“You’re very talented Hyejoo. You should become a professional dancer!” her friends’ grandmother said.

Hyejoo had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, but now that she thought about it, becoming a professional dancer was something she might like. If she had what it took.

“Imagine if she could sing or rap too! She could be the next ace of a girl group!” Yeojin said, barely containing her excitement.

“As a matter of fact, I can” Hyejoo said.

“Whaaaat?!” Yeojin shouted.

“I won’t do a demo, though. You’ve had enough for one day.”

She knew Yeojin would not let it go, and even if the did not have to sing or rap that day, she would have to do it at some point.

“Anyway, Chungha, I’d like to join the studio you told us about.”

Chungha nodded and said she would give her the details after they eat.


	25. Catisfaction

**January 6**

*** HEEJIN’S POV ***

Being back to school was a problem for Heejin. The problem was not school itself, it was having to wake up in the morning. The previous night, she had spent too much time finishing her drawing of Chaewon’s stepsister’s cat, that she had finally met, and had gone to bed at two am. Four hours of sleep was not enough, and she knew very well that she would do the same thing every night, because she felt she did not have enough time for art during school days. Even when she could have time to draw or paint, she would often just hang out with Chaewon instead.

Heejin had time management issues. It was no secret. She did not even know how she managed to be the arts club president. If it was not for Bada’s help, she could never run the club properly. She entrusted the younger girl with basically everything. Sometimes she felt bad for not doing her job well. Bada was very sweet, and Heejin knew she should not take advantage of the situation. She simply felt overwhelmed with everything she had to do and did not know how to do it any better.

Senior year was not an easy one. She had to think about many things, like what she wanted to do after that, and although she had decided to take a gap year, she was still wondering if it was the best choice. It took a lot of her mental space that was already considerably reduced by her crush who took a lot of it. Heejin had never talked about her crush, not even to Chaewon. Part of her wanted to talk to her bestfriend about it, because sometimes, having a crush was exciting, but part of her wanted to keep it a secret, for some reason she could not explain. The latter part was the strongest. But since she did not talk about it to anyone, and did not receive any advice, she had to talk to herself about it, and it did not leave much space for anything else.

“Heejin, I’m talking to you” Chaewon said, waving her hand in front of Heejin’s eyes.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

Heejin appreciated how Chaewon never lost patience even though she was always spacing out. Most people would have been annoyed, but the blonde was always an angel.

“I think Seungeun likes me.”

Heejin widened her eyes, as if it would confirm what her ears had heard. She could not process the information.

“Seungeun, what makes you think that?”

“She always sits next to me in mathematics class. Today she asked for my sheets to copy from them, and she gave them back with a little heart drawn in a corner.”

“Maybe it’s her way to thank you for your intelligence?”

“Heejin, everyone knows I suck at maths and I know for a fact that Seungeun had done her homework, because when the teacher asked her for the answers, she gave answers that were entirely different than mine.”

“So you think she’s looking for excuses to talk to you?”

“Maybe. I don’t know what to think.”

Chaewon was confusing for Heejin. She was incredibly pretty, and she liked that people thought that, but she did not like the attention. She liked being appreciated, but would not let anyone get close. The black-haired girl was privileged, in that sense. She was one of the few who could gravitate around the queen of high school. Many people had asked Chaewon out before, and none had been successful.

“Maybe you should wait until she says something about it before drawing conclusions. Maybe she’s just being nice.”

“In stories, is it not usually the opposite situation? Someone tells their friends their crush is just being nice, and the friends facepalm and say it’s not the case?” Chaewon thought out loud.

“Well, we’re not in a story, are we?” Heejin teased her. “And I didn’t know you had a crush on Seungeun!”

“I don’t.”

“It’s basically what you just said, though!”

Heejin put her hands in the air in defence. She chuckled and thought of teasing her friend some more, but decided to let it go instead. Chaewon looked a bit upset about the Seungeun situation. Heejin had no idea what to do. Her bestfriend did not seem to care for her own love life very much, and was usually bothered when someone was into her, but she was always straightforward. Guys here knew now that she was too pretty to date a boy.

“What will you…” she started. “Oh wait! I’ll be back in a sec!”

Someone caught her attention two tables across from them. She got up quickly and trotted to the girl who had just sat there.

“Hyunjin, hi!”

The girl looked up to her, surprise showing on her face. Ever since she had met Chaewon’s cat two days before and seen him so happy with the ball, she had been thinking about how she should thank her for the advice. It gave her a good reason to talk to her. Kim Hyunjin was not exactly easy to approach. She was often invisible. Heejin had no idea where she usually ate her meals, but it was not at the cafeteria, and she was surprised to see her there that day. And she was glad because, for once, she had something to say to her.

“I just wanted to say thank you for your advice! The cat loved the ball.”

Hyunjin did not reply immediately, looking back down at her plate, and Heejin’s heart starting beating in her throat. Maybe talking to Hyunjin was not a good idea. They had bumped into each other the other day, but deliberately walking up to her might be different? She suddenly felt extremely vulnerable and was about to turn away when a soft smile appeared on the other girl’s face as she looked her in the eyes.

“Is that so?” she asked, her voice as soft as her smile.

Heejin was both relieved and hypnotized. She had not looked at Hyunjin from up close before. Her skin was incredibly smooth, and her eyes were so kind. But now was not the time to think about it. She did not even know what to answer.

“Yeah…”

 _Find something Heejin, quick_.

“Wait, I have a video of him playing with it!” she said enthusiastically.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, looked for the video, and showed it to Hyunjin. She saw how her eyes changed when she looked at the cat play. Her love for cats was obvious.

Heejin noticed how Hyunjin looked up from her phone and glanced at their table, where Chaewon was still sitting. She looked away from the phone and took a bite of her vegetables.

“I think Chaewon is waiting for you” she said on a neutral tone, as if she was delivering obvious information.

Right. Heejin had left Chaewon a bit longer than she had expected. She would understand when she would tell her about how Hyunjin helped her find a gift for the cat.

“You’re right. I’ll see you later! Thank you again!” she said, smiling at the other girl and left.

When she got back to their table, Chaewon looked pale. Her eyes were wide in terror. She looked mortified. Had something happened while Heejin was talking to Hyunjin?

“What did you say to her?” Chaewon asked, pointing to Hyunjin with her chin. “What did you show her on your phone?”

She looked really uncomfortable. Heejin furrowed her eyebrows but then decided to play it cool, a smile plastered on her face. Her friend probably only wanted some kind of distraction after an uncomfortable situation happened, and she would talk about it later.

“Oh I bumped into her at the pet store when I was looking for a toy for Furry. She helped me pick one so I wanted to say thank you. And I showed her the video I took Saturday when I came over. You know, the one where the ball got stuck under the couch and he couldn’t reach it?”

She said all of it so quick, as if it was all there was to the story and it could be told quickly. She noticed how Chaewon sighed, and how her shoulders fell.

“Oh okay” the blonde said.

She looked relieved. But relieved from what?

“What did you think I would say?”

“I don’t know. I have just never seen you talk to Hyunjin before” she shrugged.

Heejin could net help but feel that Chaewon was being weird. She could not ask her why. If her bestfriend had something to say, she would do it eventually, on her own terms. And she thought about how right the blonde was. She had almost never talked to Hyunjin. She had not gotten the occasion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I don't know why, but I particularly enjoyed writing this chapter. Tell me what you think!  
> See you tomorrow!


	26. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

**January 7**

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

Hyunjin sat on the bench in the park in front of the bakery, taking in the sun in the chill air of winter. This was where she ate her meals every day, except when it was raining. Since Jiwoo had graduated, she had not really connected with anyone, and preferred eating on her own outside of school, rather than sitting alone in a cafeteria full of people who would question why she was unable to make friends. To think she used to be popular in middle school when she was on the basketball team…

Now, there was another reason why she could not eat at the cafeteria. The previous day had reminded her of that reason. She could not stand to see Heejin with Chaewon anymore. It was a painful reminder that whatever chance she might have had with the brunette was now inexistent. She had buried the idea in a tiny coffin, under all the dirt she constantly stirred in her brain.

When Seungeun had asked her to eat with her, she had been reluctant. She was pretty sure it was Jiwoo who had told her to take her under her wing, or something. The two of them did taekwondo together, and Hyunjin had hung out with her classmate a few times, but did not really know her. The only reason Seungeun had run after her after their last period was probably because she was sent on some kind of mission to befriend her. Jiwoo was exactly the type of caring friend who would commission someone to check on her wellbeing, and she appreciated the gesture, but still could not let her guard down with that girl she barely knew.

Anyway, she could not refuse and risk to hurt her feelings, so she went with her to the cafeteria. That was when things had started to get complicated. Seungeun had left to go to the toilets, and Heejin had approached her to thank her about the cat advice. How enthusiastic she had looked, talking to her about Furry hurt. Her smile had been so warm it had burnt her eyes. If she had not been oblivious about how Hyunjin had been treating her best friend until then, she would have never talked to her this way, and she knew it. Still, she had played along, and even watched the video of her own kitten playing with his ball.

Secretly, she had wished the reason Heejin knew her cat was because she would have introduced them to each other herself, had they been close enough for her to invite her over. Furry obviously liked her, which made it even more frustrating, because if he had not, it would have been a good reason to move on.

The short interaction she had with Heejin had felt nice anyway. Her smile was contagious, and her deep voice always pulled some strings within Hyunjin’s heart. Her short-lived moment of happiness had lasted only until she had looked up from the other girl’s phone and seen Chaewon looking at them, looking even more terrified than she sometimes did when they were home. It had brought her back to reality. The sinister reality that Heejin would actually hate her if she knew who she really was.

When Seungeun had come back, Hyunjin was too deep in her thoughts to be talkative. Especially when she was listening to the other girl talking about how cute her stepsister was. She could only nod and hum, trying to say as little as possible about a girl who now probably hated her.

But maybe it was not too late to make amends, right? If not for her own or for Chaewon’s sake, maybe it could be for Heejin’s?

* * *

Hyunjin stood in front of the door for a few more seconds. She considered herself brave, and usually tackled issues head on. She was not scared of conflict. She had grown used to it, and to seeking it in the past few years. Failing to breathe, she had to reconsider that aspect of her personality.

It was much harder for her to fix the issues she created, to admit she had hurt others, than to create them in the first place. She would speak her mind without caring about the consequences and say harsh words, but when it was time to take them back and apologize her pride got in the way.

When it came to Chaewon’s case, it was even different. Hyunjin had never been openly mean to her. She did not have to apologize for making her life a living hell. But in a sense, she knew she had made that happen. She knew she had been mistreating her stepsister when she had pretended not to hear her talk, or when she was talking about her in the third person when she was in the room. If she had never been mean to her face directly, she had never been nice either. She probably should have been warm and welcoming, but she never had.

Some part of her was jealous. Chaewon still had her dad. She also had a mother. Hyunjin had only one parent, her mom, who tried her best to compensate for the loss of her husband. It was when the blonde had gifted her the kitten, that she had realized that although she never listened to her, it was different the other way around.

Chaewon had known a cat would make her happy, and all this time, Hyunjin had never thought once about how her stepsister could feel. Even when Jiwoo had confronted her about it, she had refused to think about it. She still was not ready to do it. She did not want to feel compassion for her just yet. But she did not want to kick her out of the house anymore. And she did not want her to feel unwelcome. She probably would not make her feel welcome either, but she would still try not to be so bitter about the situation.

It took a lot of effort to admit all of this to herself, and admitting it to the other girl was another step she was not exactly ready to take. Yet, she stood behind her door, mustering up the courage to go in. She looked at the ceiling and took one last breath before knocking.

“Come in!” she heard on the other side.

Cautiously, she pulled the handle, and let her head peek through the opening.

“Can I come in?” she asked, in a soft voice that she usually never used with Chaewon.

Even though she had just been told to come in, she knew the other girl would not expect the knocks to be from her, and she would rather check if it was still okay for her to take the next step.

“Hum… yeah” the blonde replied, tensing up on her chair behind her desk.

Hyunjin closed the door behind her and looked around the room. It was neat, and decorated with pastel colors. Truly fitting for the blonde. She had never entered there since it had been turned into a bedroom. It used to be her dad’s office, that her mom had never cleaned up after his death. Her chest constricted thinking about how much the place had changed. It was unfair that it ever had to change. She could feel her eyes watering, but now was not the time to cry.

“Can I sit?” she asked, pointing to the bed.

“Sure” Chaewon nodded.

Although her voice was quiet, and her whole body language indicated that she came there in peace, she noticed how stiff her stepsister was. She could not blame her. She had lashed out so many times in her presence that she could understand her fright.

“Heejin doesn’t know who I am, does she?” she asked, looking around rather than facing the blonde.

A silence ensued. Chaewon seemed to be carefully considering her wording options.

“You didn’t want anyone to know we know each other, did you?” she asked.

It was one of the first things Hyunjin had told her before school started. She remembered it vividly. She did not want anyone to know she had anything to do with her.

“I didn’t think you’d keep it even from your best friend.”

Hyunjin glanced at her, and could see she still was not relaxed. She had paused her scribbling, concentrating on the right thing to say. Hyunjin could sense it. She had often wished for her to be more outspoken, but she had realized that maybe it was because of her that she was being so careful. Maybe she should do the talking herself, to make it easier.

“You should invite her over, sometimes” she said. “It’s not fair that you’re the only one who goes to her place.”

It was an awkward way to say that she was fine with Heejin coming over and knowing who she was, but she was pretty sure her point got across well. Even though Hyunjin liked to call her Barbie Doll, she knew the blonde was far from being stupid, and that she was even pretty perceptive.

“Are you sure?”

No. She was not. She was definitely not ready for her crush to understand who she was, and to see the disappointment in her eyes. But still, she knew she had to make it right. She could not let her bad blood get in the way of her crush’s friendship. She meant it when she said it was unfair that Chaewon went over to Heejin’s all the time and the inverse was not true. It was also unfair that she had to keep her identity a secret from her best friend.

“Yes.”

“Thank you, then” Chaewon nodded.

“You’re welcome.”

It was the closest thing the blonde would get to an apology. It already took a lot out of Hyunjin to talk to Chaewon, she was not ready to apologize. She was slowly getting out of her denial, as the thoughts of her wrongdoings sometimes crept to her mind before she shut them down, but admitting it to someone else was out of question. She had nothing more to say to Chaewon, so she stood up and left quietly, forcing a slight smile as their eyes locked when she closed the door.

She went back to her room and realized what she just said might actually have real consequences. Heejin would really hate her. But it was too late to back off.


	27. Dating Prank

**January 8**

*** HASEUL’S POV ***

School had started only two days before, but Haseul already felt like she was drowning in things to do. It was almost the end. She had to give it her all to graduate successfully. She knew that if it was not for Kahei’s help, she could never have graduated at all. She was smart enough to study well, but she often let her emotions get the best of her and distract her. Kahei helped her put everything together in her brain.

Kahei also helped her tidy her room during the break. Whatever part of her life needed a bit cleaning and organizing, she was there to clean it. Haseul would be lying if she said she would have never thought the two of them would get on so well. She had always been fond of her friend and would do anything for them to get along. Which was, thankfully, effortless.

From hanging out only for their study sessions a few week ago, their relationship had evolved into hanging out all the time. They sat together in every class, ate together. Spending winter break together really had brought them closer, and Haseul was happy about it. She smiled more. Every time she started worrying about something, Kahei would notice and say something to make her laugh. It worked. She felt happier than before. Everything ahead of her felt less heavy when she thought about it, because she knew she was not on her own.

The two of them had been studying in the library for two hours when they decided to take a break and hang out outside, in the small park in the center of the campus. They had sat down at a picnic table, and commented on everything that had been carved on it. A lot of couples had sworn their love with their initials, but there were also hateful messages.

Kahei had said that no one deserved to read such mean things, and had taken a pair of scissors out her pencil case and carved drawings over them, so the bad words were unreadable. The world did not deserve Wong Kahei, Haseul was sure of it.

As her friend was carving over the last one, someone came up to them. Haseul looked up to the guy that had approached and smiled at him. She had known Hansol since they were kids.

“Hansol, hi!” she said.

She noticed Kahei’s eyes were going from him to her, as if trying to understand who he was.

“You don’t know Kahei, do you?” she said, smiling again. “Hansol, this is my friend Kahei! Kahei, this is Hansol!”

Hansol bowed to Kahei, who bowed her head a little.

“Nice to meet you, Kahei” he said. “Haseul, can I ask you something?”

Haseul did not know what kind of trouble he would get her in again. He had often dragged her to hang out with his friends, or to help him choose his clothes when he went shopping. Once, she had to help him sneak into a private event by distracting the bouncer. She never knew what to expect from him.

“Sure!” she said, her smile still bright, although she was slightly suspiscious.

He looked to his feet, and Haseul could see he was uneasy.

“Is something wrong? Are you okay?” she asked.

Her mom instincts kicked in. She did not like seeing people close to her in distress. Distress may have been an exaggerated word here, but that was how Haseul thought he felt. She had a tendency to amplify everything. She always felt other people’s emotions vividly, and sometimes blew them out of proportion involuntarily.

She got up from her bench, ready to take a step towards him and put her hands on his shoulders to make sure he was okay. He stepped back before she had time to reach him.

“Will you go to the barbecue restaurant with me?”

That one was a first. Haseul did not know why he would need her help to go to a restaurant.

“What will we do there? Who do I have to get you hitched with? Is there a pretty waitress?”

He shook his head and sighed.

“Should I-“ Haseul continued before he interrupted her.

“As my date” he clarified. “Will you go on a date with me?”

Haseul looked around, incredulous.

“Where are the cameras?” she asked.

It had to be a prank. There was no way this was real.

“Haseul, please just answer, it’s getting humiliating.”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and scratched the back of his head, unable to look her in the eyes. That is when she knew it was not a prank, not one for her anyway. His acting skills had gotten even better. She had to play along to get him out of his misery.

“Well, yes, I’ll go with you to the barbecue restaurant.”

She did not really know what else to say. She realized it was a date, but knowing Hansol, she was pretty sure it would not mean anything because he probably was just trying to prove something to his friends. They would go the restaurant, have fun, tease each other like they usually did, and that would be it. He would not call it a date or bring the topic up ever again.

She liked his company, anyway. She had spent less time with him in the past weeks, and was glad to finally get the occasion.

When she saw the smile that had crept back on his face, and the way his eyes shimmered in happiness, she knew she had made the right choice by accepting his offer, even if it was not for real. As if she would have had it in her heart to refuse anyway, if it was indeed real.

“I’ll text you, then” he said, his smile not leaving his face.

He turned around before she could say anything. She watched him walk away, joining his group of friends who congratulated him, obviously very proud of him. Haseul did not know why they were so proud. They had known each other forever, of course he could talk to her and ask her out. She did not see why they were making such a big deal out of it.

“So you’re going on a date, huh?”

Kahei’s voice caught her attention. She sat back on the other side of the table to face her friend, who had a mischievous look in the eyes.

“Apparently! But it’s Hansol, so it’s not really a date!”

Kahei frowned.

“Why wouldn’t it be a real date?” she asked.

To Haseul, it was obvious.

“We’ve been friends since elementary school. We’ve been to the restaurant plenty of times before already. I think he just wanted to impress his friends by asking a girl out, and he knew I would play along.”

She smiled. She had always played along with whatever Hansol had sent her way. She would not tell him, but she actually liked being his go-to person.

“It looked real, though” Kahei said flatly.

“Yeah, he’s a good actor!”

“Are you sure it was acting?”

For a second, Haseul’s smile left her face. Why was Kahei so insistent? She was usually the type to let go of things, but it seemed like she wanted to make sure of something. So, what if she was right, and Hansol was not joking? Would it change anything? Probably not. She decided it would be easier to stick with her first idea and say it was acting. But maybe it was not. And maybe it did not bother her that it was not.


	28. Set Your Own Standards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations! Thanks to you guys leaving 100 kudos on this fic, you unlocked a Yeorry spin-off that will come out in the next few days. Thank you so much for your support!

**January 9**

*** YEOJIN’S POV ***

The parent-teacher meeting could have gone smoothly. Chungha could have nodded when Yeojin’s teachers told them it was a shame she was so talkative because she actually had potential. They could have just complimented her creative skills. She could have simply seen the beam on her mother’s face. It would have been much simpler if it had been all of it. But of course, her teachers had to ask her what she wanted to do after high school like she was supposed to know.

“Of course, you still have a year to figure it out” they had said.

It was funny to Yeojin how every teacher said the same thing in a different way. They all pretty much served the same sentences to every student who was a bit lost. It was a mixture of “it’s okay if you don’t know” and “please find out and start working towards it” but they would not say the last part openly. Only Ms. Ahn was different. Maybe because she was younger than the other teachers. Yeojin could not help but see her teacher in a new light after the meeting.

She had always found her rather intimidating, although she would never admit it to her friends, pretending she was unimpressed. The woman was strict. She knew what she wanted and would push the students to give their best. She was demanding, and students disliked her for that. But after the parent-teacher meeting, Yeojin had realized why she acted that way.

“Yeojin, it’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do yet” it had started like any other teacher’s speech. “But whatever you choose, once you do, remember that you’ll have to be invested in it. We’re asking now because we want to make sure you get ready. The world out there is not gonna hand anything to you, you’ll have to prove your worth and to prove them that you can achieve anything you want, on your own terms.”

The girl had been a bit confused by this speech. All of it seemed so obvious to her, but the tame fire in her teacher’s eyes had made her think she meant something deeper than just a generic discourse. She was scared by the reality her teaching was laying in front of her, but somehow, how fiercely her teacher was facing it inspired her.

“Whatever you want to do, make sure it your own thing and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. You’re stubborn, I can see that. It’s not always a bad thing. Use it to your advantage.”

That made much more sense. If so far all of her teachers had made her feel like being stubborn and wanting to stick to her own ways was wrong, Miss Ahn Hwasa might have just comforted her. What kept Yeojin from giving her all in class was the feeling that the teachers did not understand her, and only mistook her for a lazy and distracted pupil, because she was always looking for unconventional ways to solve the problems or remember the dates, and would not learn the material their way, or would space out as soon as she was done with her exercises.

For a few weeks previous to the meeting, she had been feeling stressed out about it. She knew what would be said, and what questions would be asked. And she was afraid of having her mother be the witness to how little she was able to accomplish in class. Even though she maintained average grades, she knew she was not the most attentive student, and that her teacher lost patience, sometimes. It was obvious they would say it.

In the car with her mother on the way home, she could not stop thinking about all that had been said. She had rarely been this silent on a car ride, or in her mother’s presence. They did not have much time together and they would always try to make the best of it by talking about their week, laughing, or singing loudly to the radio. But this time, although music was playing in the background, Yeojin was overly silent, looking outside the window.

“You know, Yeojin. I think the last teacher we saw was right. The others were being too dramatic. You have a big brain. Maybe that’s your problem. It works too fast. But, as the last one said, what people might think of as a flaw of yours, you can turn it to your advantage. And I know you’re smart enough to do that, no matter what your teachers says, okay?”

The teenager did not look at her mother. Although she was grateful for her words, she was doubtful. Only two people had said that tonight. Ten others had just complained and said she could do better. She wished she would not overthink it and just focus on the positive words sent her way, but even though the teachers were kind to her, feeling they had so little faith in her still stung.

She felt her mother’s hand squeezing her shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, Yeojin. It’s not easy to manage living almost on your own, doing homework, having a girlfriend, all at the same time, and you still do it well.”

Yeojin glanced at her mother, whose eyes were still locked on the road. She paused.

“I’m sorry I’m not around more. I know it’s hard for you.”

The truth was, it was not. Yeojin had grown used to it. Her mother had prepared her well for it, and with a lot of care. Even if she was not around all the time because of her conflicting schedules, she made sure to be there for every important moment – like the parent-teacher meeting – and the girl knew she would drop anything she was doing in a minute if she ever needed her help. Even if her mother was not present physically, she was still more present than most parents. Suddenly, Yeojin realized something: her mother was trying her best and, far from being disappointed in her for not being around more, she knew her mother loved her. She never had a doubt about it. And it was best than what it was for numerous teenagers who constantly had to try hard to get their parents’ approval and love. That was her realization. She had never doubted how much her mother cared, and she was lucky for it.

“Mom, it’s okay. I love you.”

It was a simple statement, but Yeojin could see her mother’s eyes watering. Jeez, she could be so emotional sometimes.

“I love you too, Yeojin. You know you can always count on me, right?”

Yeojin nodded, and then realized her mom could not see her, since she was driving, so she used her words.

“Of course, I know.”

“Promise me you’ll call if you ever are in trouble.”

Yeojin did not know where the sudden access of sentimentality came from. Maybe her silence had upset her mother? She never usually was silent enough for her to have enough space to talk about her feelings. She knew her mother felt guilty all the time, and that is why she always kept talking. So Chungha could never have time to say how guilty she felt. Because it was not fair. Yeojin would tell her she is fine, all the time, and the woman would still feel bad, as if she was not enough of a mother. The teenager wanted this conversation to stop.

“I promise. I’ll try not to get in trouble, though.”

Her mother chuckled, and wiped the corner of her eyes.

“Alright.”

She paused again, to change subjects.

“Do you really have no idea what you want to do after high school?” she asked, a suspicious tone in her voice.

Yeojin stared at the road. Her mother had seen straight through her as she had told every teacher she had no clue. She did have an idea, but would not admit it. If she ever tried to pursue her dreams, it would get her away from what mattered the most to her: her family, and Yerim. She could never lose any of them for her dream. She did not want to. She would have to find a new one. It was easier to find a new dream than a new set of loved ones.

“No I don’t.”

She hated lying to her mother, but she did not want to get questions from her that she did not even want to ask herself.


	29. Time To Love

**January 10**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

The last bell rang, and Kahei turned her laptop off. She had thought of using a notebook, like a lot of the other students, but she could not write fast enough, so she was stuck with recording the classes and listening to them after class so she could get the parts she was not fast enough to type either. It was double the amount of work, but at least it forced her to study, and she was able to maintain good grades despite her difficulties.

She turned around to ask Haseul to grab coffee before leaving campus, but the brunette had already left her seat. The redhead sighed, imagining her friend had left without her, but fully knowing it would be weird. She spotted her only a few meters away, talking to Jung Jinsoul, who she had been paired with for their song production assignment. For some reason, Kahei could not take her eyes of the tall black-haired girl. When she was a blonde, she had not really paid attention, but ever since she dyed her hair back to black for the first time in years, she looked like an entirely different person. There was something mysterious about Jinsoul that Kahei was curious about more than she used to be.

Haseul noticed that she was looking at them and shot her a smile. It instantly warmed Kahei’s heart. After imagining, even for a few seconds that her friend could have left without her, the simple fact that she smiled so kindly at her made her feel better. She kept tidying her stuff up, taking her time so she would not be done to quick, hoping to synchronize with the moment her friend would stop talking to the other girl, so they could go out of the building together.

“Kahei, are you thinking of sleeping here?” Haseul teased her.

Too focused on how slow she could zip her laptop case, she had not noticed that her friend was done, and that the other black-haired girl had left. She smiled to Haseul and caught up with her at the door.

“Do you want to grab coffee?” she asked, a cute smile on her face.

“I don’t know, I have to get ready for my so-called date.”

Right. The date. Kahei had forgotten about it. Although Haseul thought it was a joke, Kahei was convinced it was not. She had seen the look in the guy’s eyes. There was genuine hope in there. Of course, she understood him. Haseul was great. Anyone would be lucky to have her as a girlfriend, and since her and Hansol were close, he must have known what a great person she was. Anybody would fall in love with her.

And she would not definitely give that love back. From what Kahei had seen, Haseul was the kind of girl who would give a chance to anyone who showed they cared. When they had watched soapy movies together, she had always been in awe before the men who were caring, rather than those who were hot. Kahei had noticed. And from everything her friend had told her about Hansol, she could tell he was definitely her type. And he was also cute. They could be great together if she stopped being oblivious to his obvious crush.

“We don’t have to stay long” Kahei pouted.

She did not want to part ways with her friend and go back to her room, where she would spend the weekend on her own.

“You’re right! I don’t want to go home too soon, anyway” her friend replied, giving her a soft smile. “Let’s go grab coffee!”

Before grabbing coffee, Haseul grabbed Kahei’s hand, and the comforting feeling the redhead felt each time she was affectionate with her came back. How could someone else’s touch could be so comforting? Every simple gesture helped her relax and made her smile. She would never let Haseul go, although she had to let go of her hand when they got to the café.

“Hello! What can I get you guys?”

The girl with brown hair smiled at them politely and rather slowly, but Kahei could see in her body language that she was in a rush. She looked around. The place was packed.

“A regular coffee and a caramel frappucino with whipped cream and sprinkles, please” Haseul told the girl.

Kahei was amazed at how she remembered her order. It was the same every time, and they had come here often enough that her friend would remember, but still, she would never get used to it.

They waited for their drinks to be ready and headed to the underground part of the café. They spotted an empty boot at the far back and walked towards it. Kahei took her coat off, and put it next to her on the seat as she sat. The two of them were facing each other, and both of Haseul’s hand were placed on her cup, probably to keep them warm.

“So, what are you gonna wear for your date?” Kahei asked, genuinely curious.

She sipped on her own drink as her friend chuckled.

“It’s not a real date, I’m not gonna dress up” the brunette replied.

Kahei shook her head.

“Real date or not, I think you should dress nicely.”

“And why’s that?”

Haseul’s smile was now provocative, and Kahei would not let her doubt her advice.

“Because you should at least have to pretend it’s a real date.”

The redhead would never say it was because Haseul was charming and that the whole world deserved to see her in a nice dress, or in anything else that would change from how comfortable she dressed on a daily basis. A date, even a fake one, was the occasion for her to look really nice. Kahei was sure it was a real date, anyway.

“You’re right, I have to fake it in case his friends see us. I don’t know what to wear though. I’m not as good as you are at putting an outfit together” the younger girl pouted.

Kahei rolled her eyes at the first sentence, but got annoyed at the second one too. She liked how Haseul dressed. However, it was right that maybe she could use help with her dating attire. She was about to give her advice when her friend slammed her hand on the table, almost jumped from her seat.

“What if you spent the weekend at my place like for vacations? We could go there together when we’re done with coffee, and you could help me get ready? And then you’d be the first one I could tell about how it went when I get home?”

For someone who was about to go on a fake date, Haseul sure as hell could act like it was a real one and like she would have things to say. Kahei hesitated. Part of her wanted to say no, because it would be uncomfortable for her to sit around at her friend’s place while she would not be there. But part of her was enchanted by the idea that Haseul already wanted to tell her about her date, and the privilege to be the first one to hear about it was priceless to her. Plus, she would get to not spend the weekend on her own.

“Alright, but we’ll have to get my stuff in my room first.”

“We have a deal!”

Haseul’s wide smile said long enough. Kahei looked at her own drink for a while. She was happy to spend more time with Haseul. However, she was kind of jealous that her friend was going on a date. She started to dream, imagining what it would be like to go on a date with someone. What it would be like to have someone care about her in that special type of way, and to be close to him.

“I hope when I get a date you’ll help me out too!” she said.

Haseul let go of her coffee and cupped her two hands instead, squeezing them gently.

“Of course Kahei! I can even play wingwoman!”

Kahei gasped. What did Haseul mean by that? She did not have time to ask, because her friend was already onto something.

“Maybe you could ask Jinsoul out? I saw the way you were looking at her when we were talking earlier!”

“What? No! I’m not gay.”

“Is there something wrong with being gay?”

“Of course not! It’s just… not me.”

Even though she knew Haseul was teasing, Kahei felt the need to justify herself. She was not homophobic. She could not care less about who other people loved. It had nothing to do with her. And even if it did have something to do with her, for instance if some girl had a crush on her, she would not mind. But she had never questioned herself, and the simple fact that she had not said a lot. To her, anyway.


	30. Happy Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 chapters, 30 days. I can’t believe I’ve been writing this for a month! We still have 11 of those to spend together!  
> If I must be honest, at first, I would have never thought I’d be able to write so consistently for so long. Yet, here I am, still writing, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  
> Feedback keeps me going, so please, please, please, comment. You can also ask questions or leave feedback on my curiouscat if you prefer to do it anonymously ([here](http://curiouscat.me/wheelipstan). Also, don’t forget that I keep updating the playlist along with every chapter ([here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5t3bXywv8weoEHPx6HknHY)). See you tomorrow!  
> The Yeorry spin-off will be out during the weekend, watch out for it!

**January 11**

*** JUNGEUN’S POV ***

She had been back from home for only a week, but work was already exhausting. The customers kept making weird orders that did not make sense. The day before, two girls had come in. One of them had gotten a regular coffee, and Jungeun was glad that she would get a normal order, for once. But she had ordered a second drink for the other girl: a caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream and sprinkles. Who drank a cold drink during winter? The whipped cream and sprinkles had made her job a lot harder because there was no handmade whipped cream left, and she did not have time to make any, so she had to use some industrial one, and had felt ashamed for the rest of her shift. She did not want to give bad quality products to the customers, but her boss did not really make it possible for her to do better when she had to cover the busiest shifts all on her own because he would not replace the people who called in sick.

This Saturday, she was lucky enough that Wheein was in. The older girl had been working there full time for a few years, and no matter how busy the shop could get, she would get things done. It was her who had taught Jungeun all about the job, and she had taught her well.

They had gotten a new recipe for coffee that day, and customers, both regulars and new ones, came to taste it. At first, Jungeun was a bit slow to make the recipe she did not know well, and had to look up to the process sheet all the time, but after about an hour into her shift, she had made it so often that she was used to it.

At some point, the flow of customers died down. Maybe they had found something better to do than coming in, and the brown-haired girl was relieved that she could catch a break. She was cleaning the counter when two girls came in. She sighed at the idea of having to deal with customers again, but wore a polite smile on her face anyway.

“Hello! What can I get you?”

“A hot chocolate and a chai latte, please!” the one with the purple hair said, giving her a smile as bright as the sun.

Jungeun did not like dealing with customers much, but she could not deny that this girl’s enthusiasm was contagious. She could feel her own smile widen slightly and her jaws relax.

“Alright, do you need anything else?”

“A space cupcake!” the other one, a smaller girl with brown hair said.

Jungeun chuckled.

“We don’t sell those here.”

“Yes you do! It’s written on the tag right there.”

Jungeun laughed. The purple-haired one looked at the tag.

“Oh my god, Yeojin… I think we should cancel this anniversary, I don’t know how to deal with you anymore” she said, and turned to Jungeun, an apologetic smile replacing the bright one. “We’ll take a spice cupcake, please. It goes well with the chai latte, right?”

Jungeun had never tried, but she could imagine the two together.

“Yes, I think so. Is that it?”

The purple-haired girl nodded, pulling on the other’s arm, keeping her from eyeing the other pastries. Jungeun announced the bill, and the smaller one jumped in front of the register.

“I’m paying!”

The purple-haired girl took a step to place before her.

“No, I am.”

The other pouted.

“No way! I am!”

“No it’s my turn! You’ve paid for the last three years!”

Their fight was cute, and no one was waiting behind them, but still, Jungeun was not having it. She pretended to be bothered, but had a hard time hiding the smile that crept on her face.

“Do you want to divide the bill in two?”

“NO!” the small one said.

“Yes” the other one replied. “You’re too stubborn, we have to make concessions!” she added.

The smaller girl pouted again, but nodded to Jungeun to proceed with the payment anyway.

“I’m sorry, we’re celebrating our four-year anniversary as a couple, so we’re a bit excited!” the purple-haired girl said, her smile turning shy.

Their four-year anniversary? Those girls were definitely younger than Jungeun… How old had they been when they had gotten together?

“Congratulations!” she said.

She suddenly got an idea.

“Do you want candles on your cupcake?”

The two girls looked at each other, in awe, and both nodded vigorously, in perfect synch.

“That would be awesome!”

Jungeun smiled at them and told them she would bring their order to them, so they could sit down. She made it, and added four candles on the cupcake before lighting them up and bringing the tray to the table the girls had sat at. Their faces lit up as much as the candles.

She set the tray on their table, and turned around to get back to the counter. Pretending to clean it again, she kept her eyes on them. The two girls held hands while blowing on the candles together, and then stood up at the exact same time to hug each other, exchange a kiss, a longing gaze and had sat back down. Even from afar, Jungeun could see the way they looked at each other, and how strong their bond was. She was not usually one to dwell on cuteness, but she could not help but share their joy, even if she did not know them.

“They’re cute” she mumbled to herself. “Wheein, you’re in a relationship, right?”

Jungeun remembered the other girl had told her she was going out with a high school mathematics teacher. The younger girl had laughed because she would not have thought that an intellectual would be her goofy coworker’s type.

“Yes, why? Did you want my number or something?”

“Of course, that’s exactly why I asked”.

Wheein snickered at Jungeun’s sarcasm.

“Can you imagine your life without your boyfriend?” the younger one asked.

“Girlfriend. And no, I could not. She’s my soulmate, you know?”

She did not know. Jungeun had no idea what it was like to have a soulmate. She could not even remember the last time she had a crush on someone. She had been too busy studying and working to pay attention to her love life. She nodded anyway, wondering what she was missing out on.


	31. Dripping

**January 12**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

Something wet fell on Jinsoul’s nose. She scrunched it and dug her head deeper in her pillow, turning her body to the other side of her bed. When water started dripping down her neck, she realized something was off, and slowly regained her senses, opening her eyes, as the drops got to her skin at a faster rate. She turned on her back and opened her eyes simultaneously.

Jungeun was hovering over her bed with a bottle of water that she was spilling on her.

“What the fuck Jungeun?” she groaned.

Her roommate was wearing a very satisfied smile, probably enjoying the torture she was inflicting to her barely awake friend.

“You’re the one who told me to wake you up at all costs by noon.”

Jinsoul rolled her eyes. She had indeed told her friend to wake her up if she overslept. The day before, she had been in a mood to party and had tried to convince Jungeun to go out with her, but she had preferred to stay in their room study. Seeing how hardworking the younger girl was, Jinsoul felt almost guilty of leaving to have fun and had made a compromise, more with herself than with Jungeun: she would go out, and, no matter how late she would come back, Jungeun would wake her up at noon so she could study in the afternoon.

“Did you have to use water to wake me up?”

Jungeun laughed, very proud of what she had done.

“I tried poking your shoulder, it did not work. I tried a Britney Spears song as an alarm, it did not work. I tried a rooster alarm, it did not work. I tried a fire alarm, it did not work either. I tried putting my vibrating phone next to your ear and then on your face, and it still did not work. I resolved to tickle your feet – by the way, you should not let them hang from your bed, the monster’s gonna get them – and it did not work. I had only one option left.”

Jinsoul had always been a heavy sleeper, but the amount of alcohol she had swallowed at the club did not make it any better. She groaned and turned to the other side again, facing the wall. A little more sleep could not hurt, could it?

A slap on the shoulder given by Jungeun could.

“Are you kidding me?! I didn’t go through all that trouble for you to go back to sleep. Get your ass up or I’ll drag you off your bed.”

Jinsoul knew her friend was joking. She would never do that. Her eyes suddenly opened wide. Of course Jungeun would do that, she was merciless. She sat straight up on her bed, with a wide smile, pretending she was wide awake, and trying to convince herself that she was.

“Much better” Jungeun said, and turned around to go sit on her bed.

Once Jungeun was far enough away, Jinsoul let her whole body fall back on the bed and closed her eyes. Except her coccyx and spine hit a hard surface only a second later. _That was quick,_ she thought. Thankfully, her friend had been careful not to let her head hit the floor.

“Jinsoul, you’re unbelievable!”

“You almost just gave me a concussion!” she whined.

“No, I did not.”

“Well, you almost broke my coccyx and ruined my career!”

“Stop being dramatic, you don’t sing with your ass!”

The last thing Jungeun said actually got a laugh out of the black-haired girl, who had a vivid image of it in her head.

“I can though, it’s called farting. You do that a lot when you sleep! You’re very talented, you could be a whole choir all on your own!” she teased.

Jungeun slapped her shoulder again, harder than the first time, and turned around. Even from behind, Jinsoul could see her friend’s ears turning red. She stood up and jumped on her friend’s back, hugging her from behind.

“Stop it Jinsoul! Why are you so annoying? Aren’t you supposed to be hangover or something?”

The younger girl struggled in Jinsoul’s embrace, but she would not let her go.

“No, I think the water you spilled on me took the hangover away.”

She indeed, was surprisingly not hangover, although she had drunk a lot. There was no reason for it, not even Jungeun’s way of waking her up.

“Damn, I should have let you sleep” Jungeun rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, you probably should have.”

Jungeun stopped moving.

“Can you let me go now, please?” the brown-haired girl asked.

Jinsoul thought about it. Annoying her roommate was a great way to start the day, but what was even more appealing to her now was filling her empty stomach with food. She let go of her friend, who went to sit on her bed and plugged her earphones in, watching something on her tablet. The black-haired girl could cook herself a breakfast in the shared kitchen, but she felt too lazy and went to Jungeun’s closet instead, grabbing her box of cereals.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the owner of the cereals asked.

Annoying her roommate _and_ filling her stomach at the same time. That was what she was doing. Sometimes Jinsoul felt like a genius. She grinned and poured herself a bowl of cereals, put the box back in her roommate’s closet and sat on her bed, staring at her friend who had given up on fighting with her to focus on whatever it was that she was watching. After about a minute of the older girl staring at her while eating her cereals, Jungeun raised her head to match her gaze and took one earphone out.

“Is something wrong with you?” she asked.

Jinsoul smiled, having finally caught her friend’s attention.

“I saw Gyeongwon at the club.”

Jungeun furrowed her eyebrows and took her other earphone out.

“That’s Minkyeung’s friend, right?”

Jinsoul nodded.

“So what happened?” Jungeun asked, curiosity taking over annoyance.

“She told me that Ha Sooyoung had asked Minkyeung for my number” Jinsoul stated.

She still did not understand why Sooyoung would want her phone number. She had tried to ask, but had not gotten a satisfying answer.

“Sooyoung… like Sooyoung from the Loonatic?”

“Yes, that’s her. I don’t know why she did, though. Gyeongwon didn’t tell me. She didn’t know either. She literally went like ‘So, have you heard from Ha Sooyoung?’ and I was like ‘no, why would I?’ and then she told me about how Sooyoung had asked Minkyeung for my number.”

Jinsoul tried to mimick the tone and facial expressions of the other girl and her own as best as she could.

“Poor Minkyeung…” Jungeun said in a low voice.

Jinsoul’s face crunched.

“What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t she the girl you rejected before winter break?”

“She is, but why ‘poor Minkyeung’?”

“The girl got asked for the number of someone who had just rejected her, that must be painful.”

Jinsoul had not thought about it this way. She did not want to think about it this way. She should just shift the conversation towards something else.

“Right. Anyway, I don’t understand what Sooyoung would need my number for, and also why she still hasn’t texted me. Apparently she asked for it before Christmas.”

Jungeun looked deep in her thoughts. Jinsoul wished she could see what was going through her head.

“She does look pretty forward, I think she would have asked you directly, or texted right away, if she wanted to use your number” Jungeun stated.

Jinsoul knew she was right but she was frustrated that she still was not getting any explanation.

“You guys didn’t particularly hit it off, when we were out, did you?”

Jinsoul chuckled. Sooyoung had spent the whole night talking to Jungeun. She had barely talked to her and Jiwoo, who had been upset about it.

“We haven’t even talked. You’re the one who left with her in the middle of the evening.”

Jungeun smiled. Jinsoul still did not know why the two of them had suddenly decided to go to a park in the middle of the night and come back as if they had never left.

“Why did you two leave, by the way?”

“I’m not telling you that” Jungeun said, her smile still on her face.

Jinsoul sighed. Many mysteries had yet to be solved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe you guys could stream Drip by Hinapia. Just leaving that suggestion here.


	32. What's Your Type?

**January 13**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

Yerim held Yeojin’s hand tightly under the table, rubbing her thumb against hers. They had spent the whole weekend together to celebrate their four-year anniversary, and they felt like they were closer than ever. They were closer than ever. Something was shifting in the energies flowing between them, in a way that felt right. Yerim was in awe of Yeojin, more than she ever was. Which said a lot, considering she had been fascinated by the girl even when she did not know her yet.

The younger girl’s hair was about to fall in her bowl of ramen. Yerim took notice of it and put the lock of stray hair behind her ear, taking a second to look at all of her girlfriend’s ear piercings at the same time. They were so pretty. Everything about Yeojin was pretty. She smiled keeping her eyes on her girlfriend’s face, as she kept talking about the zombie movie she had watched the day before to Hyejoo, who was arguing that it was boring and that she had seen better ones.

Yeojin turned her face to Yerim, seeming to realize she was not participating in the conversation. Yerim did not like horror movies, she had nothing to say, and was happy enough to just listen to the two others talk, while looking at her girlfriend.

“Are you sure you don’t want to watch the movie with us tomorrow, babe?” Yeojin asked.

Yerim shook her head. Even if it meant she could snuggle with her girlfriend when she was scared, she did not want to watch a horror movie. She noticed a small piece of vegetable on Yeojin’s lips, and rubbed it off with her finger.

“Here I was, thinking I’d be done third-wheeling, only to realize you guys are still gross as hell.”

Yerim took her attention of her girlfriend to look at Hyejoo, who wore a smile on her face. The purple-haired girl knew it was a joke, but she still felt a bit bad for her friend.

“Why don’t you get a crush already, Hyejoo?” Yeojin replied.

“A crush? What would I do with a crush?”

The black-haired girl seemed bored with the idea of having a crush, much to Yerim’s dismay. The purple-haired girl had always thought that love was nice, and having a crush was exciting. She never had one, except for Yeojin, but she had not realized at that time it was a crush. She sometimes wished she had lived through the excitement and expectation of having a crush and talking to her friends about it. She felt like she had kind of missed out, and she would not let Hyejoo miss out on it. It would be her new mission: findind someone Hyejoo could like and have a crush on, and maybe date.

“Having a crush sound nice, don’t you think?” she asked her friend.

“No, it sounds very time consuming.”

Hyejoo obviously knew nothing about the joys of love. Yerim had to make sure she would get to experience them some day. She seemed so nonchalant that it would probably be a challenge to get her interested in them.

“Yeah but it’s also mind numbing” Yeojin said.

Yerim blushed. She knew that her girlfriend was talking about how she felt, and it made her feel weird to realize that it was her that could have such an effect on Yeojin. She felt warmth all over her body. Her girlfriend squeezed her hand under the table.

“No thanks.”

Yerim gasped. She did not expect Hyejoo to be _that_ unbothered.

“What’s your type?” she asked. “Boys, girls? Tall, small?”

Hyejoo shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’ll know when I meet them.”

This did not help Yerim at all. She would gladly introduce a lot of people to Hyejoo, but she had to know where to start, and the girl was not making it easy.

“Come on Hye, everyone has a type!” Yeojin said.

“Do you?” Yerim asked her girlfriend.

Had she been her type? What was Yeojin’s type? They had never actually talked about it.

“Yeah, my type is you.”

Hyejoo snickered and rolled her eyes.

“What type am I?” Yerim asked, confused.

“I don’t know, but you’re mine.”

“No seriously, Yeojin, what’s your type? Like, if we’re talking about someone who isn’t Yerim.”

Maybe Yerim would get information on Hyejoo’s type by watching how she reacted when Yeojin talked? She focused on her friend’s facial expressions.

“I don’t know, I don’t ever look at girls who aren’t Yerim.”

Yerim looked at her girlfriend. Guilt invaded her mind. She did look at other girls. Hell, she had even imagined what it would be like if Hyejoo was her girlfriend. She thought it was normal? Everyone did it, right? It’s not because you’re on a diet that you can’t read the menu, as they said. Knowing that Yeojin did not do it made her uncomfortable. It was like there was an imbalance between them. She was all eyes on the purple-haired girl, who looked at others and let her mind wander to alternate universes.

Hyejoo shook her head.

“I don’t believe you” the raven-haired girl said.

Yerim felt even worse, because she actually believed Yeojin. She knew her girlfriend was sincere when she said it. She could feel it. She looked away, lost in her thoughts, not daring to take part in this conversation anymore.

“You’re right, I did say Ms. Ahn was hot, but she’s not my type because she’s a teacher, and I’m not into that stuff” Yeojin said and winked.

Yerim chuckled, feeling a bit lighter. How could Yeojin always be so playful and innocent? She wondered what she had done to deserve such an amazing girlfriend.

Their conversation was interrupted by a blonde girl who placed her hand on Yerim’s shoulder.

“Yerim, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Yerim looked up and saw Chaewon’s face, she smiled widely, although the blonde seemed slightly shaky.

“Sure!”

She was about to get up, but realized something. She turned to Hyejoo.

“Hyejoo, this is my friend Park Chaewon. Chae, this is Hyejoo, Yeojin’s cousin. I mean, kind of cousin.”

The two of them smiled politely at each other and bowed their head, but Chaewon pulled on Yerim’s sleeve, as if she was in a hurry before they had time to say anything to each other. Yerim got up and followed the blonde a few meters away.

“Is something wrong, Chae?”

The girl’s attitude was weird. She looked almost scared.

“Can you tell me if you see a woman hanging around my old house, please?”

The house had been empty ever since Chaewon and her dad moved. For some reason, he did not want to sell it nor rent it. It was probably full of spider webs by then.

“Hmm yes, of course! What’s happening?”

Chaewon looked down, and Yerim could see her friend’s eye water.

“I think my mother might be trying to reach out to us. My dad came back with mail from there the other day, and I read her name on the back of one of the envelopes.”

Yerim’s jaw dropped. Chaewon had not seen her mother in years, since she had left one day without notice and never came back.

“Oh crap…”

Her friend’s shoulders shook, and Yerim hugged her. It was what she did best, and she knew Chaewon needed it, although she would not say it out loud.

“Will you be okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s just… I’m realizing that she still exists somewhere, and it’s weird. I don’t know how I would react if she tried to get in touch with me. It scares me. But I’ll be okay.”

From what Chaewon had told her previously, only two people knew about her mother’s disappearance: Heejin because she was her best friend, and Yerim because they had always been neighbors and she knew her mother. She was very secretive about the whole story. It was a sensitive topic, hence why she looked so distressed.

“You know I’ll always be there for you, right?”

The blonde girl nodded as she took a step back.

“Thank you, Yerim. I miss you, you know?”

“I miss you too. We should hang out soon, okay?”

Chaewon gave her a slight smile.

“Sure, I’ll let you know when it’s possible.”

She then turned and walked back to where she had come from, a table further away. Yerim’s gaze followed her and her eyes crossed Heejin’s. They both pouted. They were probably both as equally worried about Chaewon. She sat back down at her own table.

“Is something wrong with her?” Hyejoo asked, visibly puzzled.

“Kind of.”

It was all Yerim could say without revealing what was wrong. Chaewon trusted her, and she intended on keeping that trust forever. She intertwined her hand with Yeojin’s and started eating, letting the two others chat.


	33. Eyes Wide Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I'm getting a bit behind with the updates, but I'll catch up very soon, I promise!  
> Please listen to Rosé's cover of Eyes Closed by Halsey while you read this chapter to make the experience more enjoyable.

**January 14**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

Sooyoung took a bite of her apple. One of her leg was propped on the chair next to hair, her elbow resting on it, while her other leg was under the table and her other hand held her apple. She looked around expectantly. She was supposed to meet with Chaeyoung in the cafeteria.

They had seen each other twice now, since the first time they got coffee together. Once, they had gone to a bar, and drank shots together and danced, and it had escalated, and they had ended up at Sooyoung’s place. And the other time they had been to a café again, like the first time. Sooyoung did not know what the other girl had in mind this time, but she appreciated not being the one who took initiatives, for a change.

She was not used to this kind of situation. She did not usually see the girls she hooked up with more than once. But Park Chaeyoung had been the one asking her out several times, and there was something about her that the brunette found intriguing.

The more she was getting to know her, the less she understood her intentions, the more interesting it was getting for Sooyoung. It was a new form of relationship. One that she had never experienced, and that she was weirdly excited about. She had always liked New things.

The other girl arrived at her table, a tray full of food in her hands.

“I’m eating, and then we’re going elsewhere” she stated as she sat down across Sooyoung.

Sooyoung understood she did not have a choice but to wait for the other girl to finish eating, although she had just finished her own meal. In a way, she liked not being given the choice. She could just go with the flow and see what surprises she was in for.

“What are we doing today?” she asked, a smile creeping on her face.

“It’s a surprise!” Chaeyoung said.

Sooyoung could not help but feel her whole body becoming warmer because of the tone of the girl’s voice, and the smirk she was wearing. The expectation of whatever would happen was a turn on. It might as well be a book reading, but the simple fact that Sooyoung did not know what to expect made it much more fun.

“Alright” she replied.

She grabbed one of the girl’s fries and earned a glare because of it. It was weird to hang out with her. They were not exactly friends, since they did not know each other that well yet, and they were not dating either. It felt like they were friends. They would probably become friends if they kept hanging out so often.

“Can I have a clue?” she asked.

Chaeyoung smiled and shook her head. Sooyoung squinted at her, trying to figure out what they could do.

“I can’t believe I’m letting you drag me around like this” she stated.

“You love it, though.”

Indeed, Sooyoung loved it. She loved the thrill of it. She smiled and stared at the other girl as she took her time to eat. That was frustrating. She had never been very patient, always doing whatever she wanted to do whenever she wanted to do it. Hanging out with Chaeyoung was a challenge in that way too.

* * *

“Here we are” Chaeyoung said as she held a door open.

Sooyoung knew that they were in the music building of their university. She had never been there before. She entered a dark room, lit by artificial light. A console was in front of her, and another smaller room with a recording mic in was on her side. On the other side was a standing mic and other sound system equipment.

“Welcome to a place where magic happens! Today, I’ll be showing you some of the best vocal magic tricks you’ll hear in your life.”

Taking on her role as a magician, Chaeyoung pulled a desk chair and that she invited Sooyoung to sit on. The brunette sat down and watched the blonde as she turned on a few sound tech machines and went to stand behind a mic.

She proceeded to sing Eyes Closed, by Halsey. And Sooyoung would have closed her eyes to listen if she had not been mesmerized by the facial expressions and the confidence of the girl behind the mic. She knew how hard it was to perform in front of just one person whose eyes were fixated on you. She had danced like that a few times. She could only admire the performance, and the way a new side of the blonde came alive through it. Maybe she had found her match, for once.

The song was soft, and the girl’s voice was like honey. Sooyoung noticed everything, including the way she played with her breath at the end of most lines. She noticed how sweet her adlibs were. Everything. She was completely immersed in the moment and enjoyed it fully, not taking her eyes away from the other girl’s face.

Once the song was over, Chaeyoung left the mic and walked towards Sooyoung, standing right in front of her, and locking eyes with her.

“So that’s what music majors do in here, huh?” the brunette asked and bit her bottom lip.

“No. Not every music major does special shows like this. This one is for you only.”

The blond punctuated her sentence with a wink and Sooyoung could not describe the effect the bat of an eyelid could have on her. It got even worse once she took one more step, getting dangerously close, and sat on her lap.

“I hope you liked it” she whispered in her ear.

Sooyoung’s hair rose on her neck. She could feel the girl’s breath on her jawline. Her muscles were getting tense, burning. She turned her face to the side to meet her gaze.

“It was magical. You’re very talented” she said.

It was sincere. The melody that came out of the girl’s lips... at the thought, she looked down at her lips, right before they crashed on hers, in a soft, slow kiss. Chaeyoung was the one who pulled away.

“I’ve got other magic tricks to show you, now” she whispered, as her hand wrapped around Sooyoung’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit hesitant with this chapter, especially the second part. I'm not so used to writing this kind of tension. Please tell me if you like it!  
> Also, you might not understand where I'm going with this ambiguous relationship thing with a character that has nothing to do with the main plot, but there's a reason, I promise.


	34. Heart Attack

**January 15**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

Jiwoo liked going on shopping spree. She also liked Sooyoung’s company. So when the girl had asked her to go shopping with her, she had not thought twice about it before accepting. The two of them had already been in four shops and had not bought anything yet when Sooyoung dragged her into an underwear shop.

She could not say that she had never been into one. But she was not used to it. And she was not used to going with her friends. She would always go on her own, so that no one would know what she bought. She already knew she would not buy anything that day. She would feel too uncomfortable for that.

Sooyoung grabbed a peach colored two-piece underwear set and put it in front of Jiwoo’s body.

“That would suit you well. It’s your favorite color, isn’t it?”

Jiwoo blushed. She could not believe Sooyoung remembered her favorite color. And could not believe the girl was just picking underwear for her like it was the most normal thing in the world. She had not even asked for it.

“Yeah, it is.”

She turned around to look at the door, hoping she could exit the shop as soon as possible. Sooyoung looked at her breast without an ounce of shame to determine their size, and grabbed another bra.

“Why don’t you try it on?”

Jiwoo almost choked on her saliva and coughed for a good ten seconds while Sooyoung gently patted her back.

“Are you insane? No way. I’m not trying anything on today” she finally managed to reply.

Sooyoung frowned.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because I don’t need any new underwear?”

It was not true. Jiwoo did need new underwear. But she did not want to buy it with Sooyoung.

“You can always try it on” her friend insisted.

Jiwoo realized there was no getting away from this. She grabbed the underwear from the brunette’s hand and looked at the floor, or everywhere around her but where Sooyoung was, waiting for her friend to pick out her own pieces of clothing to try on. But her friend did not look around at all, she just led Jiwoo to the fitting room and pushed her gently into it.

“Go ahead, try it” she said as she closed the curtain, standing outside.

Jiwoo looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. She could try underwear on even though Sooyoung was right behind the curtain. She had to do it if she did not want to look like a pussy. She started taking her clothes off so that she would be left with only her own underwear. She heard the curtain move behind her.

“Do _not_ look, Sooyoung!” she warned.

She heard a chuckle, but her friend did not say anything, so she turned around and saw the curtain still completely close. She took another breath, and finally took her bra off to put on the one she wanted to try. She then threw the other panties over her own.

Sooyoung had been right. This suited her well. The color was nice. She liked it. She started taking them off, when her friend finally talked.

“You’re taking forever. Are you finally wearing them?”

Jiwoo shook her head at her friend’s lack of patience.

“Yes, don’t worry I’ll be back out in a sec. Just let me change back to my own clothes.”

The curtain opened and closed very quick, and Sooyoung was suddenly standing right behind Jiwoo, who put the panties back on, forgetting that it did not matter because she still had her own on as well.

“What are you doing here?! Get out!” the redhead said.

She was embarrassed. She did not want Sooyoung to see her half naked. She blushed furiously as her friend shamelessly checked her out from head to toes.

“Don’t tell me you were going out of there without even showing me how it looked on you!”

Jiwoo glared at her.

“That’s exactly what I was about to do! Get out!”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes and looked at her again. Jiwoo could feel her gaze burning every inch of her skin.

“It really does suit you, I have taste!”

The brunette smiled and got out of the fitting room just as she had entered them, leaving Jiwoo still shocked and in disbelief of what had just happened. She changed back to her own clothes and got out, holding the underwear she was about to buy in her hands.

“My turn, now!” Sooyoung said with a smile, before looking for a set of underwear that she liked. Jiwoo was not really surprised when she saw her pick a bra and panties that had a sporty look to them. She knew how sporty her friend was. It made sense that her clothing would reflect that.

The tall girl made her follow her to the fitting room and got into it. She closed the curtain. Jiwoo waited anxiously. She was not comfortable in that place, and she wished she could be out of it as soon as possible.

“Jiwoo, can you please come in?”

The redhead’s eyes opened wide.

“Uh sure.”

She carefully opened the curtain, and tried to keep her gaze to the wall, avoiding the sight of her friend at all costs.

“Do you think it’s okay? How do I look?”

Jiwoo did not even look.

“Just fine!” she said, her voice slightly shaky.

Sooyoung, who was until then facing the mirror, turned around to face Jiwoo.

“You haven’t even looked. Please help me.”

Jiwoo looked at her friend’s face, careful not to look down. When she saw her expression, she knew Sooyoung meant it when she said she wanted her opinion. She looked down. The bra fit her perfectly. Her abs… had Sooyoung always had those abs? Jiwoo blushed again at the sight of the well defined muscles on her friend’s belly. She looked quickly at the panties.

“Everything fits perfectly” she said and went back to looking at the wall.

“Does it just look okay, or do I look really good?” Sooyoung asked.

“You’re hot.”

“You’re saying that because you know that’s what I want to hear and you want to get out of here fast.”

“I—” Jiwoo closed her mouth. “It’s the truth, you’re hot. And yes, I want to get out.”

She could not wait for this shopping spree to be over, now. She had seen enough of her friend’s skin. She had had enough of that boiling sensation on her face.

“It’s fine, I’ll get changed and we can go” Sooyoung said, still smiling.

Jiwoo got out of the fitting room and sighed. She was relieved this would be over soon. As she was waiting for Sooyoung, a blonde girl with a flannel shirt came into the shop, picked underwear quickly, and got to the fitting room, waiting next to Jiwoo. She gave her a smile, that the redhead returned shyly. The curtain opened.

“Okay, we’re good, let’s go pay and-“ Sooyoung interrupted herself. “Chaeyoung! Hi!”

The brunette’s smile was wide, and she hid her underwear behind herself.

“Sooyoung.”

The blonde looked at the hands Sooyoung was holding behind her back.

“I hope you’re buying some nice stuff.”

Jiwoo did not understand this interaction.

“Of course I am.”

Their gaze matched for the whole exchange. Jiwoo noticed that their eyes said much more than their words did. There was something weird going on between them. Something she was not a part of. Her blood started to boil, but not the same way it had before.

“You’ll show me, right?” the so-called Chaeyoung asked.

Jiwoo recognized the tone of her voice. It was predatory. She did not like it one bit. Sooyoung seemed to like it, though. From only a few sentences, the redhead understood the nature of the relationship these two had. She wished Sooyoung would focus more on her studies than on getting into girls’ pants.

“Maybe” Sooyoung smiled and winked.

Jiwoo could not take any more third-wheeling.

“I’m gonna pay, I’ll see you outside Soo.”

“No I’m coming with you!” she grabbed Jiwoo’s hand. “Chaeyoung, I’ll see you later!”

Jiwoo seized the opportunity and wrapped her fingers firmly on her friend’s hand and dragged her towards checkout. They paid, and the redhead let go of her friend’s hand only when they were out of the shop.

“Who was that?” Jiwoo asked.

“She’s a girl I’ve been hanging out with lately.”

Sooyoung’s smile was still the same. She looked chill. Jiwoo frowned.

“Do you show your underwear to every girl you hang out with?”

She covered her mouth with her hands. This should have never come out of it. She did not intend it to, especially not spitefully. Sooyoung’s mouth was agape for a second, until she regained composure.

“Of course not.”

Somehow, Jiwoo did not believe her. She had a bitter taste in her mouth.


	35. Ghost House

**January 16**

*** CHAEWON’S POV ***

Chaewon was walking down her old street, holding Heejin’s hand to give herself strength. It had been a while since she had last entered her old house, and it was weird for her to come back there. She did not want to be alone in there. But there was something she had left there that she wanted to get.

It was even scarier now that she knew that her mother had been dropping letters in the mail. Part of the reason why the blonde wanted to come was to see if she could catch the mail before her dad could. Maybe she would find an explanation of why her mother had left. Maybe she had been sending letters all this time and Chaewon could not know because her dad was always the one picking the mail up? She had watched many films in which the present parent kept mail from the absent parent from the child so that they did not know they were asking for news.

But every time she had thought about it, the blonde had realized that her father did not care about her enough to keep things from her. If he had received mail, he would have just given her. Which meant she had not received any letter, and that she did not have one parent who did not care, but two of them. Hyunjin’s mother cared about her more than her own dad did.

Chaewon was grateful, but at the same time it made her uncomfortable because she knew Hyunjin did not like the fact that her mother was paying attention to the blonde. She was also uncomfortable because it made her think that her stepmother took care of her because she pitied her. She had always shown love and attention to her own daughter, and it was not hard to tell, when you saw Chaewon, that she was not exactly used to receiving parental affection, so maybe she had been trying to make up for it.

“Woah, it’s changed a lot…” Heejin said when they arrived in front of the garden.

“Yeah, weeds grow fast. I thought dad came to take care of the garden, but apparently I was wrong.”

Wild plants had invaded the grass. The contrast between the neat hedges and trimmed bushes of the neighbors’ houses and the Parks’ garden was startling. The house looked abandoned. It was. They could have stayed there, even though her father remarried. But he did not leave her a choice. They were moving, and that was it. Still, they had left plenty of stuff there, since her stepmother’s house was not as big and her father did not want to sell his stuff. Chaewon had often secretly hoped they would come back there, at first. Now, the house in which she had grown up felt like somebody else’s. A kindred spirit had probably taken over.

As she inserted her key in the lock of the front door, she could feel a breeze on her neck. She opened and walked in. No mail was on the floor, and everything was the same as it had been six months ago, except that now, a thick layer of dust covered everything. Although the house was clearly abandoned and empty, Chaewon could feel a presence, as if there were eyes following her. Maybe it was just her reminiscing memory, as if she was taking a walk through her past and watching herself do so. Or maybe someone was actually there. She did not want to know. It did not matter. All she knew was that the air felt thick and that she was conscious of every move she was making, as if she was intruding another person’s house, uninvited.

“What are we looking for?” Heejin asked, bringing her back to reality.

“My passport. It’s in my bedroom” the blonde replied, still contemplating everything around her.

Nothing had changed, and yet, it felt different. She shook her thoughts away and started climbing up the stairs, followed by her best friend. She opened the door to her room. It was the same as it had always been, except it was exceptionally tidy. Maybe it was the most disturbing thing of this whole visit. Her room was full of vivid memories but seemed lifeless without its usual mess.

Heejin grabbed her left hand and squeezed it. Chaewon gave her friend a small smile. She had not realized she had been acting weird, out of herself, for a while. She took a step towards the drawer where all her personal stuff was locked in.

“Why did you not bring your passport with you at your stepmother’s place?” Heejin asked.

“Because I never thought we’d stay there this long.”

Heejin knew how she had felt about the move. She had gotten used to it since then. And now that she was seeing her deserted house, she was not so sure she wanted to come back there anymore. She unlocked her drawer and grabbed her passport.

“That’s it, we can go.”

Heejin grabbed the small book from her hands, and the blonde did not even try to stop her.

“Wow Chae, have you always looked that good?”

“Are you saying that twelve-year-old me looked good?” Chaewon laughed.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying” she paused. “By the way, I’m glad your passport expires only in June, because I have something to tell you.”

The blonde looked at her friend, intrigued, and waited for her to continue.

“See, I’ve told you that my parents have given me something incredible for Christmas but I didn’t tell you what.”

Chaewon frowned but nodded anyway. She had always found it weird that Heejin would not tell her what her gift was.

“You’re officially invited to come to Japan with me for a week after graduation!”

The smile on her friend’s face was so wide, and her enthusiasm so contagious that Chaewon’s energy naturally matched with it and that she engulfed her friend in a hug.

“That’s so great Heejin! You’ve always wanted to go there! But why with me?”

Heejin’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped, as if she was shocked to hear such a question.

“Because you’re my best friend, duh! Who else would I bring?”

Chaewon smiled. The answer was indeed obvious.

“I’d love to go with you to Japan” she said.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the front door. The two of them froze.

“Did I just imagine that?” Heejin asked, whispering.

They heard another knock.

“No, you did not.”

Chaewon’s whole body was tense. She could feel every drop of blood reaching her extremities, and her heart pumping like crazy. What if it was her mother? What would she say to her? Who had noticed they had come in? What kind of people knocked on abandoned houses’ door? Maybe a robber, to see if someone was in before breaking in? What if they were in real danger?

“Chae, it’s me, Yerim!”

Her friend’s voice was muffled by the thickness of the walls. She sighed, relief filling her body. She decided to sit down, as this place was a good as any other to hang out with Yerim. Heejin did the same thing.

“The door is open, just come in!” the blonde shouted so that her friend could get a chance to hear her.

The door opened, and steps came up the flight of stairs, before a purple-haired girl stood in the door frame of Chaewon’s room.

“How did you know we were in here?” the blonde asked, as her friend sat on the floor across from her and Heejin.

“I saw you two walking down the street from my bedroom window. I just wanted to finish my homework before coming.”

The purple-haired girl, as if the fact that she was joining them was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it was.

“I was so scared when you knocked at the door” Chaewon said, looking at the floor.

“I’m sorry, I should have texted you first.”

Yerim pouted. Heejin observed the exchange in silence.

“I haven’t seen anyone lurk around your house since you told me about your mom, Chae” she added.

The blonde nodded.

“Thanks, Yerim.”

The purple-haired girl looked around and shivered.

“Do you guys want to go hang out at my place instead? No offence, Chae, but this house is really cold, and it looks like its owned by a ghost.”

It was, in a way. It was owned by the ghost of the family Chaewon’s parents had tried to build but let crumble.

“Yeah, okay. Is it okay for you, Heej?” she asked her best friend, who had never been to Yerim’s place. “Yerim’s house is just across the street.”

She stood up and pointed through the window, so the brunette could see.

“Yes, of course!”

Chaewon felt glad. She felt at home with her two favorite people in the world and was happy that this little trip allowed her to hang out with the two of them at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I'm so sorry, I'm taking forever to catch up... I'm trying my best! I hope you've enjoyed these last chapters! The rest of the missing ones are coming asap.


	36. Guerrilla

**January 17**

*** HYEJOO’S POV ***

It was Hyejoo’s first dance practice at the studio she had joined. The previous Friday, she had gone through the audition process successfully, and this time, she would start training among the others. Which implied meeting them. Not her forte.

She entered the locker room to get changed. It was full of young women chatting with each other while getting changed. She scanned the room without looking at anyone but rather focusing on practical aspects: where would an empty locker be? Was there empty space on a bench so she could get changed.

“Hi! You must be Hyejoo, right?”

A tall girl, although slightly shorter than her, with long straight dark brown hair appeared in front of her, smiling softly at her. She nodded, unable to say anything.

“Alright, your locker is number 12, it’s the one in the corner over there! The showers and toilets are this way.”

The girl pointed to the other side of the room, and then behind her. Hyejoo looked and nodded again.

“I’m Sooyoung, by the way. Sunmi asked me to show you around, so feel free to ask me if you have any question.”

Hyejoo remembered Sunmi being the dance instructor who had judged her audition the week before that.

“Thank you!”

She forced a polite smile at Sooyoung and walked towards her locker. She just wanted to get changed and escape this crowded locker room that made her uncomfortable. There were too many people for too little space, and she did not know any of them, so she had nothing to talk to them about that could make her stay in there longer. She quickly changed into sweatpants and a black t-shirt and went into the practice room.

There was only one person in there. A short blonde who was already practising some moves in front of the mirror, her back turned to Hyejoo. The black-haired girl figured that she might as well start to stretch. The room quickly filled with girls, who started to stretch just like Hyejoo did, while the blonde was still practising the same moves, over and over.

“Girls, let’s gather in a circle!”

The coach had entered the room and placed herself in the center. Hyejoo did as the others do and sat cross-legged in a circle around the woman. The blonde girl, who was still in front of the mirror, turned around and joined the circle. That was when Hyejoo realized that she knew her: Park Chaewon, Yerim’s friend, queen of the school and best friend of the arts club president, Jeon Heejin.

The empty spot next to Hyejoo was filled by none other than Sooyoung, and the brunette had to take her eyes off her schoolmate. The older girl leaned into her direction to whisper.

“So, at the beginning of every class, Sunmi makes announcements. That’s when we know what choreo we’ll be working on. Then, we warm up as we please, and then we work on the moves. At the end of the first class, we decide who gets what position in the cover according to who does it best. And then we work on it for two weeks, and then we shoot it” the brunette explained.

Hyejoo nodded. It worked the same way with the crew she used to be a part of before.

“Are we done chatting?” Sunmi looked at Sooyoung with a smile.

Hyejoo could see that the woman was benevolent and playful rather than the scolding type.

“So, first, I’d like to say welcome to our new members: Hyejoo and Simyeong.”

The girls all clapped their hands. Hyejoo glanced at Park Chaewon, who was focused on their instructor.

“Then, I’d like to announce the new choreography. Are you ready?” she let a few seconds of suspense go before announcing. “This time, we’re not going to do a boy group song. It will be… Oh My Girl’s Guerrilla.”

The girls all cheered. Some louder than others.

“Does anyone want to choreograph the verses?”

A hand rose immediately, and Sunmi looked down to the girl who had raised it

“Of course, Chaewon. I should have known” she winked at the blonde. “Anyone else?”

No one raised their hand. Hyejoo did not even know the song, so she would not venture so far as to choreograph it. Plus, she had just started practising there, and she did not want to attract attention to herself. 

“Alright, seems like you’ll be choreographing the verses. Now, let’s get warming up, and then we’ll work on the moves from the chorus.”

The woman clapped once, and everyone got up. Some people very enthusiastic, and some already lacking energy.

“Do you want to warm up together?” Sooyoung asked her as she was rubbing her hands against each other.

“Sure.”

Hyejoo did not know what else to say. She had already been stretching before the speech and felt ready enough, but it would be rude to refuse, so she followed the girl to the other side of the room.

“Have you been dancing for long?” Sooyoung asked.

“A few years.”

The girl smiled. Hyejoo lied down and lifted herself from the floor in a plank position.

“I’m sure you’ll like it here! Everyone’s nice and helpful” she said.

Hyejoo did not reply, focusing on holding her plank.

“Don’t let yourself get impressed by the competition, though. We look like we’re gonna kill each other every time we give the parts in the first class, but it’s honestly healthy. No one actually hates each other, and everyone supports those who get the best parts.”

Hyejoo did not really care about the competition. She had always thought that the person who worked the hardest and showed the best performance would get the best part. It was not even a competition in her mind, just something logical and obvious. She would not have cared about pettiness and jealousy even if it had been there, but she was still glad that Sooyoung was trying to reassure her.

“Alright, I’ll remember that, thanks” she said.

“Girls! Are you ready?”

Everyone turned their heads towards Sunmi, who placed herself right in front of the mirror. The girls placed themselves in lines without her needing to say anything. Hyejoo immediately noticed Park Chaewon on the first line, on the coach’s left side. Sooyoung went to her right side.

“No Sooyoung, you’re going in the back to check that everyone’s doing it right” the instructor said.

The slim brunette came back next to Hyejoo.

Training went smoothly. Hyejoo picked up on the choreo fast enough. It was not a hard one. When parts were given in the end, she did not try to get center, rather settling with what people wanted her to do. Sooyoung did get center. From what the younger girl had seen, the brunette was very good at dancing, so it did not come as a surprise that she would get a major part. Hyejoo had also noticed how good Park Chaewon was, but the girl had not tried out for a part. Probably because she was already choreographing. According to Hyejoo, everything had gone well.


	37. Girls' Talk

**January 18**

*** HEEJIN’S POV ***

Heejin rang the bell, and a very nervous Chaewon opened the door. The blonde did not even say anything as she grabbed her hand, and literally dragged her up the stairs without even giving her time to take her shoes off.

“Chae, I still have my shoes on” she said, once the door to her friend’s bedroom was closed behind them.

“Take them off now, I’ll bring them downstairs myself.”

“I can do-“

“No, I’ll do it. Please take them off now.”

Chaewon was so jittery it was painful to watch. Was she that anxious that Heejin was coming over while her family was there? The brunette did not protest or ask questions and simply took her shoes off and handed them to her friend.

“Thank you” the blonde said and exited the room.

Heejin looked around. Her best friend’s room was the same as when she had first – and last – come there. It felt like a cocoon made just for Chaewon. The door opened quickly, and her friend was back in.

“Are you really that scared of me meeting your step-family?” Heejin asked.

Chaewon’s jaw dropped. Heejin continued.

“You know, I’ve heard all about them already, and I don’t mind. If you’re telling me it’s okay now, I don’t see why it would be a problem that I met them?”

Chaewon looked away, weighing Heejin’s words.

“Are you sure that no matter who they are and what they are like, you’ll be fine?” Chaewon asked.

“Yes.”

Heejin was certain.

“Do you promise you will not be mad at me for not telling you more about them sooner?”

The blonde looked her in the eyes, and all that Heejin could see was distress. She could not see what would be so wrong with her knowing more about Chaewon’s new family.

“I’m not gonna be mad at you for telling me things on your own time, Chae.”

“Do you promise?”

Heejin extended a pinkie.

“I promise.”

Chaewon grabbed Heejin’s pinkie in hers.

“Can we please talk about something else, now?” the blonde asked.

Chaewon was never one to be rude, or to even give a piece of her mind in a conversation. If she asked for a change of topic, Heejin knew that it was because she was genuinely uncomfortable, and she would not fight her about it. She looked at the ceiling, looking for something to say. Suddenly, she remembered, and a wide smile spread across her face.

“Yesterday, in art class, I was drawing Furry, and my crush walked up to me and said my drawing was really cute.”

“Oh really?”

Chae’s mouth formed a O and she looked really interested. Heejin knew she had to keep going.

“Yes, she said my rendition of the colors was very nice, and the she liked how I paid attention to details.”

“Oh so she’s a she?” Chaewon’s eyebrows raised.

Heejin gasped. She had just realized she had never given her friend any information about her crush’s gender. She could still play it cool.

“Yeah” she shrugged. “Anyway, she’s been talking to me more often lately. It’s just small things here and there, but it still makes me happy.”

Chaewon smiled. They kept talking about Heejin’s crush for a while. Heejin saying how she liked her big eyes, how she had a cute smile and how shiny her hair looked. She did not give a detailed description, but just enough for her friend to understand all the little reasons she liked her.

* * *

“Are you hungry?” Chaewon asked at about four pm.

“Yeah a little” Heejin replied.

They had talked about anything and everything, but mostly about what they wanted to do together once they went to Japan after graduation.

“Let’s go downstairs, then!”

Chaewon stood up and extended a hand to Heejin to help her up. She opened the door of her bedroom, inviting the brunette to walk before her towards the staircase. They reached the highest step when they heard a voice downstairs.

“Mom, I’m going to run, I’ll be back in an hour I think.”

Heejin’s jaw dropped when she saw the person who the voice belonged to. Out of all people, Chaewon’s mean stepsister had to be Kim Hyunjin? Was Heejin cursed?

“Oh, hi Heejin!” the black-haired girl groaned, giving her a small smile, before she immediately went out the door.

Heejin’s mouth was still agape, and she turned to her best friend, a shocked expression on her face. Chaewon rolled her eyes, but then looked at the floor and would not take her gaze away from it.

“Yeah, I knew you’d be surprised. You promised not to get mad, though.”

Her voice was plaintive. Heejin was not mad, though. She was simply surprised. All this time, Chaewon had been talking about Hyunjin. All the stories she told were about Hyunjin. The worst part was: all this time, Heejin had been talking about Hyunjin too. They had been talking about the same girl, without telling who she was and depicting her in an entirely different light for months.

“I’m not mad” she said, shaking her head.

Chaewon waited, seeing there was more to it than what Heejin was saying.

“I’m just embarrassed…”

Chaewon raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Can we go back to your room? I don’t really want to say it in the open” Heejin pouted to punctuate her sentence.

The blonde girl frowned, but stepped back to go back to her room anyway.

“Do I need to fight Hyunjin for you?” Heejin asked.

It was painful for Heejin to know that Hyunjin was the person who made her best friend’s life at home some kind of hell. She really would not have expected it. But she had her priorities straight: Chaewon’s wellbeing came first. The blonde shook her head vigorously.

“No, she’s not that bad! I think she’s just hurt and lost. She’s gotten much better lately.”

“Good. I didn’t want to fight her anyway.”

“Are you embarrassed because you’re scared of Hyunjin?” the blonde teased, lightening the atmosphere.

“Me? Scared of Hyunjin? No way.”

The truth was: Heejin was scared of Hyunjin, in a way. She was intimidated by the other girl. She was immensely relieved that she did not have to hate her for Chaewon’s sake. She really did not want to hate her.

“Hmm yeah sure. Should we go downstairs, now?” the blonde asked.

“Yeah.”

If Chaewon wanted to believe Heejin was embarrassed because she was scared of Hyunjin, she would let her. At least for now.

* * *

“Do you want to spend the weekend here, Heejin? It’s only fair seeing how Chaewon always spends them at yours.”

Now that Heejin knew that Chaewon’s stepmother was Hyunjin’s mother, she noticed the resemblance. They looked alike a lot, especially in the soft way they smiled.

Heejin looked at Chaewon, not knowing what to say. Was her friend fine with her spending the night there? Would it not be too awkward at dinner?

“That would be great, Heej!” the blonde smiled.

Heejin did not know if it was to make a good impression on her stepmother, or because she genuinely wanted her to stay, but she got the clue.

“Okay, then. I’ll have to borrow one of your pajamas” she said.

“I still have your Naruto ones in my closet.”

“Oh you brought it here?”

Chaewon nodded, and Heejin was astonished. Chaewon had left most of her belongings in her old house, but had kept Heejin’s pajamas with her? It made the dark-haired girl smile.

* * *

Dinner could have been awkward, but Chaewon’s stepmother had saved it by asking a lot of questions to Heejin, who was glad to answer them and avoid an awkward silence. However, only the two of them talked, as Chaewon’s dad was not there, and Hyunjin and Chaewon kept glancing at each other without saying a word, which did not go unnoticed by their guest.

“Can you put the dishes away, please?” Hyunjin’s mother asked them all.

“I’ll do it. You guys can go upstairs” Hyunjin said.

It was the first thing Heejin had heard her say since she had come back from her run.

“Are you sure?” Chaewon asked.

The taller girl gave her a small smile and pointed upstairs with her chin.

“Yes, go.”

Heejin looked at her gathering the plates, looking at the way she was careful not to break anything. She was magnetized but did not realize it until Chaewon pulled on her sleeve and she followed her upstairs. When they got back to her best friend’s room. Heejin blurted out:

“Chae… My crush… It’s Hyunjin. I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was your stepsister. And now it’s super awkward because I know she hasn’t been treating you nicely, and I should be mad at her. I am mad at her. But at the same time I can’t help but notice how c-” she rambled.

“Heejin, it’s okay” the blonde interrupted her. “As you said, you didn’t know. Plus, I told you she was getting better. It’s fine, really.”

The blonde did not even look surprised.

“Did you know it was her?” Heejin asked.

“No. Not until today. But I saw the way you looked at her and acted all weird when you realized who she was.”

Heejin pouted.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Heejin, stop it, it’s fine. Maybe you could help her be happier or something and it could make my own life even easier.”

The brunette shook her head. She did not see how she could help Hyunjin in any way.

“She doesn’t even like me back.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Chaewon’s voice was low, as if she was contemplating what she was saying. Heejin’s muscles tensed up. She refused to believe she could stand a chance with a girl whom she had been watching for years and who had never even noticed her.

“Whatever. You’re my best friend, it would be weird.”

“I’d be down with it.”

Heejin did not know what to say. She did not want to think about it anyway, so she just hugged her friend tightly.

“I’m so lucky to have you as my best friend, Chae.”

The good thing about her friendship with Chaewon was that she never had to doubt whether their affection was mutual. It was obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think about this whole situation? Was Heejin's crush obvious? Did you think Chaewon would react this way? I wanna know how you feel about all of it!


	38. Denying the Denial

**January 19**

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

Hyunjin had barely slept that night. The sole idea of Heejin being in the next room kept her twisting and turning in her bed, wondering what her and her stepsister could be talking about. She knew they probably talked about her. She had seen how surprised the brunette had been when she had seen her. Chaewon must have told her everything. Heejin had not acted differently at dinner, but maybe she was only being polite. Or maybe the blonde had not told her yet about their complicated relationship.

All night, Hyunjin had dreaded the moment she would have to go downstairs to get breakfast. She thought of not going, but her mom would notice and worry. She looked at the clock. It was half past seven. Maybe she would have time to go to the bakery to buy peace offerings with her gift card. She decided that the sweatpants she wore as a pyjama were as good an outfit as any, and quietly got out of her room, and then down the stairs. She got to the front door and was greeted by one of the loud meows that Furry did only for her. She crouched down and petted her cat.

“Good morning Hyunjin!” a deep voice said behind her, in another room.

She turned around and saw Heejin and Chaewon seated in the kitchen. How were they awake so early? Hyunjin’s plans to get peace offerings before they woke up were thwarted, and now she just had to act as if everything was fine and as if Heejin did not see her as a monster.

“Morning” she muttered and gave them a smile while looking at her feet.

She went to the freezer and got a loaf of bread out of it. She put it in the oven and turned it on. She could hear the two girls chat like they had not been interrupted but tried not to pay attention to anything they said.

She got orange juice from the fridge and poured herself a glass.

“Can I have one too, please?”

Hyunjin looked at Heejin, who was wearing her usual cute smile with shimmer in her eyes that had made her melt a long time ago. She nodded and grabbed another empty glass. She poured it and set it before Heejin without looking her in the eyes.

“Thank you.”

Figuring she would rather not stay in the kitchen with the two girls while her bread baked, she took her glass of orange juice with her and went to the living room to play with Furry. She sat on the couch, threw the ball and watched him run after it, bumping into the walls and furniture for a while. Except this time, for the very first time, he caught it in his mouth and brought it back to her, behaving like a well-trained dog. A huge smile appeared on her face. She was incredibly proud of him.

“I guess he really likes this ball, huh?”

Heejin set a plate with her bread in it on the table and sat right next to her. Hyunjin looked at her quizzically.

“The timer rang but I think you didn’t hear it” the other girl said.

The bread was not the only reason Hyunjin was confused.

“Thank you” she said.

She grabbed the bread and started to tear a bit from it to eat it. She turned to Heejin.

“Do you want some?” she offered.

Heejin smiled. How could she still be smiling at her like nothing had changed? Like she did not know care if Chaewon had hidden their relation all this time?

“No, keep it to yourself” she said.

Hyunjin shook her head. She could see the way Heejin was looking at her warm, golden loaf of bread. She tore a piece of it and handed it to the girl.

“Here, take it.”

“Thank you.”

She was still looking at the floor but could feel Heejin’s intense gaze on her. It burned every inch of her skin. It was like the other girl’s eyes had turned into x-rays to see inside of her. She could not match her gaze. All she could do now was escape. She engulfed what was left of her small loaf and went back to the kitchen to put the plate and her glass in the sink without even glancing at the other girl as she went. Chaewon was still there, playing Animal Crossings on her phone. She did not even look at her and went upstairs.

* * *

Hyunjin was applying sunscreen when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. She was about to snap, asking to leave her alone, but realized it could be Heejin, so she unlocked the door. Chaewon entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

“Is there a problem with Heejin being here?”

The black-haired girl had never seen her stepsister so confident. Being protective of her friend had a positive effect on her.

“Is that what you came here to ask? Leave me alone, Chaewon.”

Hyunjin tried to unlock the door, hoping to push the blonde out of the bathroom.

“Answer me first.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened. She would have never expected her stepsister to talk to her that way.

“No, there’s no problem with Heejin being here.”

Except the way Hyunjin’s heart broke every time she saw her cute smile and realized she did not deserve it.

“Why are you acting all weird, then? You can act weird with me, I don’t care, but please don’t act weird with her. She has nothing to do with our family issues.”

Hyunjin’s eyes darkened at the mention of their problems. She had been cutting the blonde some slack, but was starting to regret it seeing how easily she could flaunt it in her face.

“I’m not acting weird, Chaewon.”

The tone of her voice was almost ferocious.

“You’re completely silent, you can’t look anyone in the eyes. Instead of staring to show you don’t want me there like you usually do, it’s like you don’t want to be there. That’s unlike you.”

Anger was starting to build up in her stomach. How could Chaewon just throw these words around like they were neutral facts? How could she so perfectly describe the way she had been treating her, nagging all the guilt she had started to feel about it? Did she want her to suffer? She felt a urge to tell her to fuck off, but kept it under control.

“No it’s… It’s just… Whatever, you wouldn’t understand…” she whispered.

The fire burning in her throat extinguished, the anger that showed in her eyes faded and her shoulder dropped. She suddenly felt extremely empty.

“What, do you like her or something?”

Hyunjin’s eyes opened wide and her chest constricted. Her whole body hurt when she heard Chaewon say it like it was nothing. She glared at her again, but this time out of pain rather than out of anger. The blonde’s jaw dropped.

“That’s what it’s about, isn’t it?” she mumbled.

Hyunjin shook her head and looked down. The blonde surprisingly saw right through her anyway. There was no point denying.

“You should tell her that, then.”

“No way” she said, not missing a beat.

Chaewon unlocked the door.

“Don’t tell her if you don’t want to, but I think you’re dumb. And at least act like a normal human being around her. I know her and she’s probably starting to think that you hate her or something” the blonde said, and then got out of the bathroom, leaving the brunette dumbfounded.

Hyunjin would never share her bread with someone she hated. She would not even share her bread with some of the people she loved the most. She could never hate Heejin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, there's been lots of fluff, so here's a bit of angst for a change. I hope you like it.


	39. Good Day

**January 20**

*** HASEUL’S POV ***

Haseul and Kahei arrived at university together that Monday morning. The brunette was glad that she had had the idea of inviting her friend over every weekend. It was a new tradition that she was starting to get used to. She could never get tired of spending time with Kahei, anyway.

They had spent the whole weekend planning trips to countries they would probably never visit, pretending that they were actual tourists. They had looked at all the flights, hotels, restaurants, place to visit, and calculated the costs, realizing that they would need to be well-off if they ever wanted to actually go on those trips. Neither of them had a lot of money. They would have to work. That was, if they ever graduated.

They were both scared. Both of them had been working on their song projects with their partner. Jinsoul had been a very efficient one, and when it came to lyrics, her mind was a chest full of gold. She had a talent for song writing that very few people had, and Haseul was glad that she was working with her. Kahei’s partner, however, was a bit messy. Kahei often said that Yoohyeon was nice, but she seemed to think of the assignment as a game rather than as a professional thing. But from what she said, her constant good mood and enthusiasm made up for it, and the Chinese girl did not mind working with her. At least, that is what she told Haseul.

The two girls were heading down the esplanade that led them to their building, holding hands as they had started doing a while ago. Haseul often held hands with younger girls, like Yeojin, as a kind of guidance, but she did not often hold hands with girls her age. However, with Kahei, it felt comfortable. Her friend had a way of anchoring her to the ground by this simple gesture that she appreciated a lot.

“Haseul!”

She turned around to see who called her and saw Hansol. She let go of Kahei’s hand and walked towards him. He walked towards her as well and hugged her.

She knew their date was only a joke, but ever since, it had felt like it had not been one. Sometimes, she felt like maybe Hansol really liked her and she did not hate the idea. She did feel a bit weird about it, since they had known each other for a long time, but she was not uncomfortable. In fact, she was starting to see him in a new light. She probably would have never looked at him twice if Kahei had not told her she did not think he was joking.

From the moment she started questioning the joke, she had seen all kind of signs that he may possibly like her. She had even started to look for them.

This hug was something that she took as another sign. The feeling was completely different from all the hugs they had before. Before it felt like two bros were celebrating their friendship, it made her happy. This one was warmer, and it made her feel safe. She liked how safe she felt in his embrace. She did not want to pull away, so she waited for him to do so. He did not pull away immediately like she expected him to.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” he asked her, when he eventually took a step back.

Haseul looked around. His friends were only a few meters away. She had to play along, right? She wanted to, anyway.

“Sure. What do you want to do?”

He smiled shyly.

“How about karaoke?” he offered.

Haseul squealed with joy.

“I didn’t know you liked karaoke!” she said.

“ _You_ like karaoke, so I figured it would be nice.”

If he was so thoughtful with his real future girlfriend, this girl would be so lucky. The brunette could not help but feel a pang of jealousy. Yet, she was glad that she could go to karaoke with her friend.

“That’s a great idea! I love it!”

“See you tomorrow night, then!” he said and winked at her.

If that wink was an attempt at fake flirting, it was a pretty convincing one, but not a very efficient one. He did not look attractive when he did that. But he did look kind of cute. Cute and thoughtful. That would be the kind of boyfriend Haseul would want, for a real relationship.

Yet, she was sure it was a joke, and somehow, it made her heart ache. She looked back to where Kahei was still standing and linked their hands to walk to class.

“So, you’re going on another date?” the redhead asked.

“Karaoke with Hansol is hardly a date.”

Kahei shook her head, and Haseul did not understand why, but she did not really want to ask. She was walking to university on her closest friend’s side, and she would be going karaoke with her oldest friend. Life was treating her, and she would not let complicated thoughts ruin it.


	40. Love Letter

**January 21**

*** YEOJIN’S POV ***

It had become a habit for Yeojin, Yerim and Hyejoo to meet in front of Yerim’s locker in the morning before class started. The youngest one loved this moment because no matter how short a night was, it was already too much time away from her girlfriend, and she was eager to share as much time as possible with her, so their reunion was the best possible way to start the day.

That day, the moment would be short-lived because Yerim and Hyejoo’s grade were going to visit a museum all day and would leave school early. Which meant that every second counted, even more so than usual.

“Why are you walking so fast?” Hyejoo groaned, a few steps behind her.

They walked to school together every day, and although Yeojin was always fast and Hyejoo slow, the gap between them was made even more obvious that day.

“I told you! I want to see Yerim before you guys go to your museum thingy” she replied.

Hyejoo rolled her eyes, but walked slightly faster anyway, not wanting to upset her friend.

When they got to school, Yerim was waiting outside the gate, and not in front of the lockers. Yeojin was not expecting that. Seeing her girlfriend’s questioning eyes, Yerim pointed to the bus that was already parked outside the school, and next to which a small crowd of students had already gathered.

A few steps later, Yeojin hugged the purple-haired girl, holding her tight, and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I’m gonna miss you today” she said as she rested her head in the crook of her neck.

“I’m gonna miss you too.”

Yerim squeezed her body, and then pulled away. Their teacher was already calling them. Yeojin had not even noticed that Hyejoo had not waited for their embrace to be over and was already waiting with the other students. Yerim smiled at the younger girl and left to join Hyejoo.

“Don’t have too much fun without me!” Yeojin yelled at the two others.

She waited for them to board on the bus and waved goodbye as they left. She then had to go to her locker to pick up her textbooks for the day. The corridor was full of people, and she had never really realized how many there were until that day. She had never paid attention because she had always been too focused on Yerim to care about what was around her. Without her, the whole place felt a bit suffocating.

She opened her locker and grabbed the books she needed. But something fell off. She looked around to see if anyone had dropped anything, but no one was close to her. It had to have fallen off from her locker. She squatted and grabbed the thing that had fallen. It was an envelope with multiple hearts drawn over it. Yeojin smiled. Yerim was so thoughtful. She had the best girlfriend in the world, and she knew it.

She decided not to read the letter immediately. She would read it at lunch, when she would miss the purple-haired girl the most. She placed it carefully in her bag between two books and headed to class.

* * *

The whole morning, all Yeojin could think of was the content of the letter. She could not focus on classes at all. Which was not surprising, but it was worse than usual. She wondered what kind of words she would find. What could Yerim possibly say to her in a letter? She was excited to see the new creative way her girlfriend had found to convey her love. She was so distracted that she had to copy her notes from Chaerin, who was not exactly paying much attention either.

The big moment of the reveal had finally come: Yeojin had eaten very fast so she could go to some place quiet to read, just in case she started being to emotional. She did not want anyone to see her cry. It would give them a reason to call her cheesy, which she was not. She was simply in love.

She sat on the stairs in the quietest corridor of the whole school and took the envelope out of her bag. She looked at it for a while. The hearts were carefully drawn in multiple colors. She started to open it cautiously, to not rip the paper. She wanted to keep the envelope intact.

She extracted a neatly folded paper from it and started to read.

“ _Dear Yeojin,_

_I know that me writing a letter to you will surprise you. I just wanted to let you know that I really like you. We don’t talk much, but you’re always nice, and funny, and you always make my day brighter. And that means a lot because I have a lot of problems, but you make everything easier every time you make me laugh. You keep lifting up my mood without even knowing it._

_I’m sorry to send you this. I know you have a girlfriend, but I needed to get it out of my system. I hope you won’t be too mad at me. I can’t tell you who I am because of that, but please just know that you are loved and appreciated, and always stay true to yourself._

_Your secret admirer._ ”

The more she read the letter, the more confused she was. She had expected sweet words from her girlfriend, definitely not a confession from an anonymous person. She did not know how to feel about it, and she had no idea who could have sent her this letter. She did not really talk to anyone but Yerim and Hyejoo, and it obviously did not come from any of them… unless? It was not Yerim, but what if it was Hyejoo?


	41. Gossiping

**January 22**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

They had been at it for two hours, and Kahei was eager to be done, but Yoohyeon kept being distracted. Kahei took the headphones to listen the track one more time.

“Something is wrong with it, but I can’t tell what” she declared.

Yoohyeon grabbed the headphones, put them away, and put her hands on her classmate’s shoulder.

“That’s because we’ve been working on it for too long. Your ears got too used to it to know, and mine too. I’ve been telling you that for an hour.”

Kahei looked away from her partner. Maybe she was right. The redhead could sometimes be stubborn when she was working, but it was only because she wanted to do things right and in time.

“You’re probably right.”

She saved all the work they had done on a USB drive, and also sent a copy of it to herself and Yoohyeon by email, and then turned the computer off.

“I have a friend waiting for me at the café nearby. Do you want to come?”

Kahei was unsure. She liked meeting new people, but she had to study that day, since Haseul had not helped her the night before because of her date.

“She’s from abroad too, I’m sure you’ll like her!” Yoohyeon added.

What did Kahei have to lose, apart from a few hours of studying? She nodded.

“Why not?” she said.

Yoohyeon instantly smiled. When was she not smiling? Kahei looked around to make sure everything was tidy and that they had not forgotten any of their stuff, and then gently pushed her partner outside of the studio and locked it.

“We have to give the key back, first” she said.

The tall girl nodded and grabbed the key from her hands as she started strutting enthusiastically in the corridors of the music building. To this day, the redhead had no idea where the other girl got her energy from, but she always seemed to have lot of it. Although her attention span was not the best, her company was very pleasant. It must have been nice being Yoohyeon’s friend, just like it was being Haseul’s.

* * *

“Ah here she is!” Yoohyeon said pointing to a girl who was reading a book, in the corner of the café.

The younger girl grabbed Kahei’s hand and literally dragged her to the table her friend was sitting at, Kahei’s short legs having difficulty keeping up with her classmate’s speed.

“Kahei, may I introduce you to Handong? Her name is Han spacebar Dong, but we call her Handong, Dong Dong or Dongie.”

The redhead would never allow herself such familiarity, but she nodded anyway, and smiled at the other girl, who had looked up from her book and was grinning.

“Just call me however feels comfortable! You’re Kahei, huh? I’ve heard a lot about your work ethics.”

The other girl was still smiling at her, and Kahei could tell that she was genuinely being nice. However, she was surprised that Yoohyeon had told her friend about her. She was the kind who would get forgotten, not talked about. It was a pleasant surprise.

“Kahei really is a hard worker. Aren’t you, Kahei?”

The redhead blushed. It was true that she never let Yoohyeon rest when they would work together. She always had the feeling like she was nagging her partner too much, or that she was really annoying. She still looked at the floor, unable to look her in the eyes.

“It’s really gonna take you places. It’s taking our project somewhere, for a start.”

Kahei did not expect such sincerity, and it made her fill with joy to the point there were tears on the verge of falling from her eyes.

“Well, shall we sit now?” Yoohyeon asked, dropping her stuff to the floor and her ass in Handong’s laps.

Kahei followed the instruction and sat across from the two other girls, soon realizing they had not ordered any drinks or food.

“What do you want?” she asked as she got up again.

“A can of Pepsi, please” Yoohyeon said.

“Me too!” Handong added.

Kahei nodded and turned around.

“Wait!”

She faced Yoohyeon who handed her a bill.

“What’s that for?” the redhead asked.

“To pay for everyone, duh!”

“You don’t have to!” Kahei said.

She could see Handong shaking her head, trying to tell her to let it go, and she decided to follow her silent advice.

When she got to the counter, the same girl who was there every time she came was there. Did she even go home sometimes? She gave her her order and patiently waited next to the counter. She took the tray as the girl placed it there, thanked her and brought it back to her classmate and her friend.

“Thank you, Yoohyeon” she said as she gave her the rest of the money back.

“You’re welcome!” she replied, and immediately looked outside. “Now look, there’s a couple on this bench. I’m pretty sure they just got together because they’re super awkward. It’s cute.”

Kahei looked outside and saw a very familiar face with a bob haircut, and a less familiar man, but whose face she had learnt to recognize pretty quickly. They were holding hands but were sitting apart from each other like they did not want to get close. Suddenly, the guy scooted over and cupped the girl’s cheeks, in an act of bravery, and kissed her. It was short and made Kahei want to puke. They both looked at their feet once they pulled away, but something unexpected happened: the girl put her hand under the man’s chin and kissed him. This time longer, slower. And every second of it burnt the inside of Kahei’s skull. She could feel tears making their way to her eyes.

“Wow! Someone’s getting confident!” Yoohyeon said, silently clapping her hands.

Kahei turned her head to their drinks. She did not want to see any of it. She was already starting to feel Haseul walk away from her. If she did have a boyfriend, then she would spend more time with him, and less with her. The redhead was scared of not having her friend around. She had gotten used to being with her all the time and would not trade her company for the world. But she would not have a choice, would she?

“I wish I had someone to do that with” Yoohyeon said.

“You mean, like a boyfriend?” Handong asked.

Yoohyeon shook her head.

“Boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever. A person” she replied, very casually.

And Kahei listened to the girls talking, sometimes saying a few words here and there, hoping to take her head off the loss she was already feeling.


	42. Let Loose

**January 23**

*** JUNGEUN’S POV ***

Jungeun did not often work in the library, preferring the quiet of her room. She was surrounded by people all day, either in class or at work, and she appreciated the moments of peace, quiet and alone time she had in her cocoon. However, sometimes, she had to use books that she could not take home because it was not allowed. That was the only reason she would go to the library and bear the presence of all the students that came there because it helped them focus. There, it was like the silence made noise, because of how omnipresent and thick it was. You could hear the silence, but you could mostly feel it. If many people could focus more easily because of it, it was not the case for Jungeun because it made her feel oppressed.

Luckily for her, she was well organized. She knew where to look in the book and wrote down the quotations and numbers she needed in the different categories she had defined beforehand in order to make her job at the library much quicker. The shorter period she spent in the crowded room, the better. She logged the last number she needed in the right place, and sighed, closing the book. Her eyes scanned her notes rapidly to check if everything was right. She did not want to have to come back any time soon.

Since everything was good, she went to put the book back on its shelf and gathered her stuff, that she carefully placed back in her backpack. She slipped on her hoodie over the sleeveless shirt she had been wearing because of how heated the library was, and then wore her coat over it. She seized her backpack and exited the main room and got through the hall. Right before she could open the door to go out, she was shoved against the wall by someone coming from the side.

She immediately glared at the person who did not watch where they were going, but her face softened in surprise when she recognized who had bumped into her.

“I’m sorry! Oh my god, I’m so sorry” a little redhead with bangs whined in apology, gathering her books on the floor.

Jungeun squatted down and helped her. How could the girl have such an immense pile of books? It was like she was a hoarder and did not know when to stop borrowing them from the library and had to give them all back at once.

“It’s okay, Jiwoo. Just watch where you’re going next time!”

Her childhood friend finally looked up at her face, and her flustered expression turned into a shy smile.

“Jungeun! I’m so sorry I bumped into you.”

There was definitely no use telling Jiwoo to stop apologizing.

“I’m glad I did though! I wanted to ask you something” she continued and waited for Jungeun’s reply.

The tawny-haired girl’s interest was piqued. They never talked to each other, and Jungeun could not see a reason for Jiwoo to ask her anything.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Sooyoung and I are going out to the Loonatic tonight. Will you and Jinsoul join us?”

Jungeun had classes in the morning and work in the afternoon. She could not join. Yet, something was tempting about the idea. Now that she knew that this Jiwoo was her childhood friend, she was eager to catch up with her. And Sooyoung was nice too, she would not mind hanging out with her.

“I don’t think I can, but I’ll talk to Jinsoul about it.”

“It’s okay if you can’t! I was just hoping you could. But I respect that you’re a hard worker. It’s just nice to chill sometimes, you know?”

Jiwoo’s smile had faltered a bit, but she was still kind and optimistic. A pang of guilt hit Jungeun’s chest. But she could not change her mind.

“Yeah, I guess it is… I wouldn’t know. Anyway, what time will you be there? I’ll tell Jinsoul to join you.”

“You’re still the same, I see” Jiwoo winked at her. “We’ll be there around nine.”

What could that first sentence mean? Jungeun had grown up a lot since then, but she still could not understand implicit statements. She nodded, deciding not to care about the part of the conversation she had not understood entirely.

“Thank you for helping me pick up my books! I’m sorry I literally bumped into you” Jiwoo said, and then walked to the librarians’ desk.

* * *

Jungeun opened the door to her room and, for once, Jinsoul was there. In the middle of the day, she often hung out with friends her roommate did not know or worked on the song project she had to do with a girl in her grade. Or maybe she was in their room, but then it was when the younger girl was in class. They did have their timetable taped on the door, so maybe Jinsoul occupied the room only when it was empty. Jungeun did not know, and she did not care, except that this time, her friend was there, sleeping. Which would not change anything because she was still a heavy sleeper.

Jungeun silently closed the door and spread all the content of her bag on her desk, organizing it carefully before sitting on her chair and getting to work. A few minutes passed.

“Gotcha!” a voice behind her said.

She turned her chair around and looked at her friend, eyebrow raised, expecting an explanation.

“You really thought I was sleeping, huh?” Jinsoul asked, her eyes as wide open as her mouth.

“Yes” the younger girl replied.

She did not know what was so funny about it, so she got back to her schoolwork.

“What are you doing?” the black-haired girl asked, sitting on her bed.

“A market analysis.”

“Sounds fun.”

Jungeun could hear the irony in her friend’s voice, but she would not let it distract her. However, she did have a message to pass on to her. Now that she thought about it, maybe she should not have been that quick to give an answer to Jiwoo. She should not have given a direct answer about her own participation in the event of the evening. She got up from her chair and went to sit on her friend’s bed. She slapped her thigh through the covers.

“I’m glad you’re awake, because that way I can tell you we’re going out tonight!” she said, the assertiveness in her voice leaving no place for an answer that would not be a yes.

“Who are you?”

Jungeun frowned, not understanding.

“You’re not Kim Jungeun. What have you done to the real Kim Jungeun?”

Jungeun rolled her eyes and slapped her friend’s thigh again.

“Shut up, Jinsoul. Just get ready, we have to be at the Loonatic at nine.”

“The Loonatic?! Are you on drugs or something? Plus, it’s in like five hours…”

“I thought you liked it there. And you’re slow, remember?” the shorter girl raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not slow! And I do like the Loonatic! I’m just… surprised.”

“Well, I am full of surprises, aren’t I?”

Jungeun was not full of surprises. She was wilding this once, but she usually was very predictable and hated when things did not go according to the plan she had set in her head. She did not like surprises and was not the type to be surprising others. Yet, something pushed her to go to the bar that night. Maybe it was the fact she was overworking herself and needed to relax a bit.

* * *

When the two girls arrived at the bar, almost no one was there. The atmosphere was very different from the one at Ladies’ Nights Out. It felt much homier and more comfortable on a regular day of the week. The dance floor had been considerably reduced, although it was still there in the back, and there were more tables and couches to sit at. Jinsoul pulled on Jungeun sleeve from behind her and whispered in her ear.

“Look, Jiwoo and Sooyoung are there.”

Jungeun quickly noticed the two girls and headed towards their table, Jinsoul following her.

“Jungeun!” Jiwoo shrieked as she got up and hugged her long-time friend. Jungeun was taken aback at the gesture, and slightly uncomfortable at the display of affection, but hugged the redhead back anyway. She tried to pull away, but Jiwoo’s grip was tight and the embrace lasted longer than she would have liked.

“Sorry, we’ve drank at home before coming” Sooyoung said, as if to apologize for her friend’s enthusiasm.

“I’m soooo glad to see you Jungie!” Jiwoo said when she sat back down next to Sooyoung, not paying any mind to her friend’s apology.

No one had called Jungeun that way since… Jiwoo did when they were kids. It felt weird, childlike. It did not feel like the other girl was talking about her, but about a completely other person. It was too cute for her personality.

“Yeah me too” she said.

Jungeun might not like Jiwoo’s displays of affection that much, but she was still glad she was getting the opportunity to catch up with her. She saw her roommate side-eyeing her, not understanding the situation. She quickly explained.

“Jiwoo and I went to kindergarten together. We were even best friends. We realized when we bumped into each other at the supermarket of our hometown during Christmas break.”

“Our moms realized before we did, though” Jiwoo added.

“That’s a funny story!” Sooyoung intervened. “What was Jiwoo like, as a kid?”

“She hasn’t changed at all, except that now she’s taller” Jungeun chuckled.

“Was Jungeun always that boring?” Jinsoul asked.

Jungeun slapped her on the thigh _again_.

“Hey! I’m not boring!”

“No, she used to be fun” Jiwoo winked at Jinsoul, playing along.

“I _am_ still fun!”

The other three laughed, and Jungeun impulsively stood up.

“You know what? I’m gonna get a drink and then, when we leave this place, you can tell me again that I’m not fun but you’ll be lying.”

Sooyoung whistled, Jiwoo laughed, and Jinsoul stopped talking, not knowing if her roommate was truly pissed, or just a bit upset.

Jungeun stepped to the counter, and waited for the barmaid to come. She soon felt an elbow brush against hers, and noticed Sooyoung had joined her. The older girl stepped closer, facing her side, and leaned into her to whisper into her hear.

“We need to find a plan.”

The girl’s breath made her shudder. She was too close for it to be comfortable. However, she knew better than stepping away.

“A plan for what?” Jungeun said.

“To get our friends together, of course!”

Jungeun chuckled. Would they really be pushing their agenda once again? It had not been exactly efficient the last time they tried.

“Do you have a better one than last time?” she asked.

“We can’t isolate ourselves again, because they will be pissed. So I say we only pay attention to one another so that they’re forced to talk together?”

“Isn’t that what we already did last time?” Jungeun pointed out.

“You’re right. That’s why we have to take it further, so they actually don’t want to talk to us.”

“How?”

The older girl’s gaze was fixated on the emptiness of the counter, but she suddenly seemed to snap back to reality. She pushed a lock of Jungeun’s hair behind her ear, and the younger girl shivered once again. She was not used to being physical with someone who was not Jinsoul, who had babied her so much against her will that she had gotten used to it. She was overly conscious of a touch as simple as one on her hair, and it made breathing harder because she was somehow panicking.

“Like that. I’ll flirt with you, and you’ll play along.”

If flirting with Sooyoung included physical contact, Jungeun did not think she could do it. And at the same time, the panic that raced through her blood was a thrill. And she did want Jiwoo and Jinsoul to get together.

“Deal. I’m a very bad flirt, though.”

Sooyoung smiled, pointed a finger to Jungeun’s face and gently tapped the tip of her nose with it.

“I think you flirt just fine.”

Jungeun had never flirted with anyone. She frowned, not understanding how Sooyoung could tell she was good at something that she had never done.

* * *

Next thing she knew, Jungeun was drunk, and it became hard to focus only on Sooyoung to leave the others some space, because she really, really, _really_ wanted to tell openly them that they should be together. Sometimes she would call their name, and open her mouth to speak, but Sooyoung would place a finger in front of it, telling her to be quiet, and they would just go back to talking together about nonsense Jungeun would not remember.

At that stage, they had switched couches: Jiwoo and Jinsoul were on the same couch across from them, and Sooyoung was sitting right next to her. Surprisingly, when she was drunk, Jungeun did not mind how Sooyoung was putting her hair behind her ear, or gently rubbing her thigh, or squeezing her hand. She did not mind the older girl babying her and making sure she would not say stupid things. She was simply living in the moment, glad that she could let go, and have a safety net.

“I think I’m gonna call a taxi” Jinsoul said.

“Nooo! I don’t wanna leave” Jungeun pleaded.

“Jungeun, you have to work tomorrow.”

Jungeun grabbed Sooyoung’s arms with both of hers and snuggled into her in a foetal position. The older girl grabbed her chin to make sure she saw her face and talked to her very sweetly.

“I think you should listen to Jinsoul. You can always have fun another time, but you can’t miss work.”

Jungeun could see benevolence in the girl’s soft dark eyes. She pouted. The little reason she still had left told her she had to go home. She summoned all her will to stand up, and grabbed Jinsoul’s arms instead of Sooyoung’s. She sloppily waved goodbye to the two others and followed the black-haired girl outside, where she called for a taxi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys still reading? I'm sorry if the updating is not consistent anymore. Classes started again + I have an internship to attend and a thesis to write ; so I have a lot of work to do. I'm trying my best to write this story, and I hope you're not disappointed by the last chapters.
> 
> More importantly: Loona is coming back next week!!!!!! isn't it exciting? Let's all support them as best as we can!
> 
> You can ask questions on my [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/lipsomniac)


	43. The Hangover

**January 24**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

For once, Jinsoul woke up to Jungeun’s alarm. It was probably her friend instincts kicking in and keeping her alert through her sleep, just to make sure the party girl would not miss her alarm to go to class. Jinsoul could never wake up when she needed to, but seeing how drunk her friend was the night before, she had to make sure she would not be too hangover to go to class.

“Jungeun? Are you awake?” she half-whispered.

Her friend groaned. She was indeed awake, but not enough. Jinsoul had no idea how quick she was to get up in the morning because she always woke up long after her. She had never been confronted to the situation in which she would have to wake her roommate up.

“Jungeun, you have to get ready for class” she said in a soft voice.

She heard the other girl turn around in her bed. What could she do now? She had no authority whatsoever, and even if she had some, she would not use it on a barely awake, probably grumpy and certainly hungover Jungeun. There would be reprisal. She decided to get up herself and turned on the light on her nightstand.

“Fuck Jinsoul, turn that off!” the other girl muttered, hiding her face in her pillow.

“You have to get ready!” Jinsoul said, as she sat on the edge of her own bed, watching her friend curling in a foetal position.

“It hurts my eyes, just turn it off.”

“No way. Just drink water and get up.”

“I can’t, I’m gonna puke.”

Jinsoul rolled her eyes and stood up, walked to her roommate’s nightstand and grabbed the empty glass that was there to fill it up at their sink. She went back to sit on her friend’s bed and stroked her hair so she would turn around.

“Jungeun, please drink.”

“I told you I can’t.”

“Oh come on! Drink and puke, whatever. A wise man once said that it’s better out than in.”

Jungeun turned her head to her and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you quoting Shrek?”

Jinsoul smiled and showed her the drink in her hand.

“Shrek would be fine with you puking, so yes. You’ll feel better after you drink, anyway, trust me.”

Jungeun sat up, grabbed the glass and downed it, grimacing.

“Is that how you feel every weekend?” the younger girl asked.

“No. First, I got used to it. Second, I never drink that much. You could have passed out.”

“I drank only three beers!” Jungeun protested.

“Three beers and, like, five cocktails” the black-haired girl rolled her eyes.

“I haven’t. I did not bring enough money for that.”

“Sooyoung paid for it.”

The younger girl’s mouth formed an O, as if she remembered something. Jinsoul knew she probably did not remember most of the night, but she would not be of much help to help her remember either. Her roommate had ignored her almost all evening, and she had no clue why.

“Why did you ignore me?” Jinsoul asked.

Jungeun seemed taken aback.

“I didn’t? I don’t remember doing that? I have no reason to do that?”

“You were still sober when you started doing it, though. You were talking to Sooyoung like no one else was in the room.”

“Are you jealous? Do you like Sooyoung?”

A mischievous smile had appeared on Jungeun’s face.

“No, I don’t! I would have just appreciated if we had spent the night talking all together, and I know Jiwoo felt that way too!”

Jungeun looked down at her alarm clock.

“Move from my bed, I have to get ready! Thank you for taking care of me!”

She had found the perfect escape for a conversation she seemingly did not want to have, and Jinsoul was too tired to have it, anyway. If Jungeun was well awake and would go to class, she could go back to sleep. So, she did.

* * *

Jinsoul and Haseul had spent the whole afternoon recording their voices for their song, and they had finally both decided that they could go out to discuss post-production. Jinsoul had asked if they could go to the café to check on her friend who was probably very hungover, and the shorter girl had immediately accepted. It turned out that Jungeun was indeed still hungover and tired, and seemed like she worked in slow motion, but she would be okay.

“I’m thinking that maybe we should record ourselves another time to create a layer under our voices? Like a harmony? Let’s say you have sung your part today, and you record it again but on a lower key so that it melts together at post-production?” Jinsoul suggested and took a sip of her tea.

“I think it’s a good idea, but I want the verses to be our plain voices with no effects, very natural and neat, without layers. Something raw, you know?” Haseul replied.

“I agree! But I think layering the voices for the chorus could make it more impactful.”

“You’re right! We should record that next week. But then we’ll have to stop recording and work on mast-“

The brunette interrupted herself and a beam grew on her face as she waved to someone outside. Jinsoul turned her gaze and saw a man, about their age, waving at Haseul enthusiastically.

“Is that your boyfriend?” she asked.

“No, he’s my childhood bestfriend.”

Haseul blushed.

“You like him.”

The shorter girl opened her mouth wide, about to say something, but then closed it and shook her head.

“I don’t know. We’ve been pretending to go on dates for two weeks now. His friends think we’re dating but it’s a joke.”

Jinsoul frowned. From the way the guy had looked at her classmate, it did not seem like a joke to her. But she did not know them enough, and it was not her place to give the other girl relationship advice.

“Do you have a special someone?” Haseul asked, turning the attention to the taller girl.

“No, I don’t. I’d like to, though. It sounds nice.”

“Yeah it does…” her classmate almost whispered.

Suddenly, someone plopped in the armchair next to her, at their table.

“I wanna die.”

Jinsoul chuckled at the sight of her exhausted friend. She was really going through it.

“Are you taking a break?”

“Yeah. The world is spinning around me, I wanted to sit down. Wheein’s covering for me” Jungeun said, pointing to her co-worker.

“Alright. Jungeun, this is Haseul, my partner for the song project. Haseul, this is Jungeun, my hungover roommate.”

“Oh you two are roommates?” the short-haired girl asked.

Jinsoul realized she had said she would see a drunk friend and had not added the precision that she was her roommate.

“Yeah, we’ve been roommates since September!” Jinsoul said.

“Is Jinsoul as organized as she looks like when she works?” Haseul asked, innocently.

“Jinsoul? Organized?” Jungeun snorted and laughed out loud, as if it was the funniest thing in the world, until she suddenly cringed, in pain, and massaged her skull. “Ouch.”

“Don’t listen to her, Haseul, she’s just a control freak. I’m not up to her standards” Jinsoul said, squeezing her classmate’s hand to make sure the message got through.

Haseul did not have the time to reply because Jungeun looked up to the counter and sighed.

“I have to get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Haseul! Hopefully I’ll be in a better state next time we see each other” she smiled apologetically.

“It’s fine!” Haseul said and playfully winked at Jungeun.

Jinsoul could have sworn she saw her roommates ear turn red before she turned around and headed behind the counter.

“She looks funny!” Haseul said.

Jungeun could indeed be funny, when she was not focused on her responsibilities. It was a side of her roommate that she always liked to see.


	44. The Sandman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I'm so sorry, I'm really getting behind on this fic... I'm gonna try my best to update more regularly!

**January 25**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

Yerim smiled, looking down at Yeojin’s head leaning on her shoulder. She would have never thought that her girlfriend would have fallen asleep in the cinema, but the younger girl had apparently had an insomnia the previous night and was tired. The movie was not even that interesting, but the two of them had decided it was date night, and they wanted to go to the movies, even though they were not particularly interested in any of them.

Now that Yeojin was asleep, it was even harder for Yerim to focus on the movie, because all she wanted to do was look at her girlfriend’s peaceful face. When she was leaning on her, she looked even tinier than she usually did. She could not resist and placed a soft kiss on the top of her skull. Yeojin had shampooed in the morning, and it smelled like flowers, and Yerim wanted to bury her face in her hair, but she could not do it. Not right there, anyway.

Yerim was worried about Yeojin. She had been acting weird in the past few days. It was like something was bothering her, but she did not talk about it at all, and the purple-haired girl knew better than to ask her. She knew her girlfriend would talk about it if she needed to but would shut her out if she asked what was wrong.

It was probably nothing. She told herself that. Yeojin was not even acting _that_ weird. But Yerim had watched her so often and for so long that she knew her by heart and would notice every detail that was different from how she usually behaved.

The movie ended, but Yerim did not even realize until everyone else was gone because she was too absorbed in her contemplation of her sleepy girlfriend. She gently cupped Yeojin’s chin with her free had and brushed her finger over her cheek to wake her up.

“Sweetheart, we have to go” she said in a low voice.

The smaller girl snapped awake at once.

“Yeah I know!” she said as she got up.

Yerim chuckled and shook her head. She knew her girlfriend would never admit that she had fallen asleep in the middle of the cinema and would pretend that she had not. Yeojin put her coat back on and clutched her hand. She pulled her outside of the room, and outside of the building.

The night was dark, but the city lights made the surrounding area look very lively. They instinctively headed towards the bus stop, Yerim’s throat started tightening.

“Did you like the movie?” Yeojin asked.

“I loved the part with the pony!” Yerim said.

“I liked it too, it was nice!” Yeojin said.

Yerim laughed. There was no pony in the movie. She had made it up, and Yeojin had just played along to please her. It was endearing. But when did Yerim not find her girlfriend’s words endearing? She let go of her hand and ruffled her hair before cupping her cheeks.

“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to leave you” she said.

She dreaded their separation, and the knot inside her throat was tightening again. It felt suffocating. Yeojin placed her own hands over Yerim’s and gently took them of her face, to let them hang together between them.

“You don’t have to go home. You can sleep with me. My mom won’t mind.”

Yerim had been hoping that the other girl would make that offer. She could not invite her herself because her parents had guests over. They already knew she would probably not come home because she had told them before leaving that she might stay at Yeojin’s, although they had not even talked about it.

“Let me text my parents, then.”

She let go of one of Yeojin’s left hand and quickly sent a text to her mother before shoving her phone back in her pocket and grabbing her girlfriend’s hand. They waited at the bus stop for Chungha to come pick them up. When her car pulled over, they both climbed in the backseat. The woman looked in her rear-view, surprised that her daughter did not seat in the front, and she noticed the other girl.

“Yerim, I didn’t know you were coming?”

“I invited her over, mom! Her parents have guest, she’ll be better with us.”

Chungha frowned.

“Do they know you’re not going home?” she asked.

“Yes I texted my mom!”

Yerim quickly took out her phone and showed it to her girlfriend’s mother.

“Alright! Let’s go, then! I ordered pizza. It should be there shortly after we get home.”

The two young girls looked at each other excitedly and giggled as the car started moving on the road.

* * *

“Yerim, what do you want to do after high school?” Yeojin asked and yawned right after.

They were lying in Yeojin’s bed, the smaller girl hugging her from behind as tight as a baby koala. They had been there in complete silence for minutes, and Yerim was about to fall asleep, but her girlfriend’s voice interrupted her fall in the realm of dreams. She did not need to think too hard about the question.

“I’d like to be an elementary school teacher, and live in a quiet neighborhood and live a peaceful life, I think.”

Somehow, they had never talked about their dreams, or about the future. They had just gone with the flow without caring about what came next because knowing they were with each was enough information to get by. Yeojin remained silent. Yerim unclenched her girlfriend’s hands from around her waist and turned around to face her.

“What do you want to do after high school?” she asked.

Yeojin pouted.

“I don’t know.’’

The other girl was visibly puzzled. Yerim gave her a soft smile.

“It’s okay. You still have two whole years to decide.”

Yeojin nodded. She looked Yerim in the eyes.

“I just know I want to be with you.”

The older girl gave a soft, very slow peck on her girlfriend’s lips.

“Turn around” she said.

Yeojin turned around and Yerim put her hands around her waist. She brought her lips close to her girlfriend’s ears.

“I love you” she said, and rested her head in the other girl’s hair, that still smelled like flowers.

“I love you too” the tiny girl whispered.

Yerim could feel Yeojin falling asleep, and she let the sandman take her away too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Please support Loona's comeback a lot! Stream So What and vote when you can! I am soooo excited about the song, the MV, the choreo, the album... everything!! the girls have worked so hard. Let's enjoy it together!


	45. Games and War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> First of all, thank you so much to everyone for all your sweet comments, I swear I'm gonna cry some day. I'm so glad you like the story!

**January 26**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

Sooyoung usually never let anyone sleep at her place, unless they were good friend. Which meant that really, only Jiwoo could sleep there. But this time she made an exception for Chaeyoung. She seemed to make a lot of exceptions for her. She was trying to change her ways, to let herself try things she had never tried. Letting her hook-up sleepover was one of them.

At this point, the blonde was starting to feel like more than a hook-up. They hung out often, got acquainted with each other. They appreciated each other as persons and not only as sexual partners. They were becoming friends. An affectionate bond was forming itself between them, which is something Sooyoung was not used to either. You were either friends with her, or her lover, but never both at the same time.

She would never let someone see her vulnerabilities beyond the ones they would see in the raw exchange of passionate touches. Sooyoung did not mind sharing this kind of vulnerability with people, but letting them get to know her, who she was, and letting her guard down for them to let them see her weaknesses was a whole other exercize.

And somehow, she allowed Chaeyoung to be part of her life. Probably because she knew that neither of them was looking for anything deep, and that the other girl would not ask personal questions Sooyoung would not like to answer. She was fun, and did not care about Sooyoung’s internal conflicts, but the tall brunette knew that the blonde would be there for her if she ever needed her to be.

“Aren’t you gonna cook me breakfast?”

Sooyoung, who had been staring at the ceiling for a few minutes turned toward the girl who was on the opposite side of the bed. She looked at her like she had heard her wrong.

“I can’t exactly cook it myself, since I’m at your place” Chaeyoung added.

Sooyoung opened her mouth to talk and closed it immediately. She hesitated about what she was about to say next. She smiled.

“You know what? You’re gonna cook breakfast for the both of us with my stuff.”

The blonde sat up, and got closer to Sooyoung, pushing her chin up with a finger.

“That is not how you treat a princess, Sooyoung.”

Sooyoung smirked, her face only inches away from her friend’s.

“Here I was, thinking I was talking to a strong, independent woman.”

The blonde climbed on top of her and pinned her two wrists against the bedhead.

“Do you still doubt my strength? Want me to show you?”

Sooyoung bit her lip, but she would not let herself get distracted that easily.

“Maybe. But only after you cook breakfast. I’m not gonna do it, so if you want one, make it.”

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes and let go of her, getting off the bed.

“Fine, I’ll see what I can do. Do you even have food to cook?”

Sooyoung pouted. She did not go shopping every day and sustained on very little food intake. She bought whatever food she wanted, whenever she wanted it, and her fridge was most of the time empty. Without waiting for an answer, the blonde left. She ended up finding cereals that Sooyoung had even forgotten she had bought.

“That’s all you have” Chaeyoung said, pointing at the box. “How can you even survive here?”

Sooyoung would never let anyone criticize her way of life. Yet, all she did was sticking her tongue out and grabbing a bowl for herself, before snatching the box of cereals from her friend’s hands. She started pouring cereals in it, and looked up from the bowl to her friend, finally answering her question.

“I look pretty healthy, don’t you think?”

The girl stared her down, letting her eyes rest a bit longer on her abs that were showing below the crop top that she wore as pyjamas.

“You’re right” the blonde said, as she met Sooyoung’s eyes.

The tension between them was pleasant, and Sooyoung had no idea that teasing, and banter could be fun in early morning. She would have thought she would want people to leave her alone, but she was realizing that this whole exchange was more fun. And if she could start the day in a fun way, she would do it more often.

* * *

“You wanted to see me?” Sooyoung asked, as she sat down.

The girl who was sitting on the chair across from the table looked mad. She had texted Sooyoung in the middle of the afternoon, asking to see her. She had thought her friend only wanted to hang out, but from the look on her face, something was up.

“Yeah. What do you want to do with Jinsoul?”

Minkyeung was aggressive, and Sooyoung frowned, not understanding where this question came from. She did not want anything to do with Jinsoul, except maybe be her friend.

“Nothing? I don’t really know her.”

They had spent two evenings together at the Loonatic, and most of the time, Sooyoung had not even talked to her, and had hung out with her friend Jungeun more. She had not even really gotten a good look at Jinsoul.

The girl sitting on the other side rolled her eyes, and shook her head, making the lighter bleached strands under her bob haircut show more.

“Why did you ask me for her number, then?”

Sooyoung gasped. She understood Minkyeung’s concern. Or maybe she did not understand it, but she understood what triggered it. But the girl had not batted an eyelid when she had asked her for the other girl’s number. Why would she react only now?

“It was not for me.”

“I know you’re lying. You’re a player, Sooyoung. Everyone knows that. You’d better not break her heart.”

Sooyoung’s felt her face harden. Minkyeung had pulled a nerve. The blood started boiling in her ears as she was, once again, accused of being a player, which was completely unjustified. Yes, she had multiple casual sex partners. But they were all perfectly aware that they would not be more than that. She could not make it any clearer. She never led anyone on, and even completely cut ties with girls who started to get clingy, so they did not get any false hope. She stood up, and slammed her hands on the table, giving the girl a threatening glare.

“You know what, Minkyeung? I thought you knew me better than that. Believe whatever you want about me. I know who I am. But I’m telling you, I don’t care about Jinsoul’s number. It was for a friend. Someone who wouldn’t treat me like shit like you’re doing.”

She paused, and a fierce spark appeared in her eyes. She knew what she was about to do next, and what effect it would have on the other girl, as she could only interpret her overprotectiveness as jealousy.

“You’ll see who she is when they get together. I think they’re a pretty good match.”

She saw the hurt look on the other girl’s face, turned around and left the place. No one could make such assumptions about her and get away unharmed. Maybe she had just signed a war declaration with some of the only friends she had in her grade. But she was starting to realize that maybe they were not friends, after all. Friends do not talk about each other that way. She closed the door and fought tears. She was Ha Sooyoung, and she would not cry just because her pride was hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a shipname for Sooyoung and Rosé: 2young. Do whatever you want with this information.


	46. Crushed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys keep being the sweetest ever, I'm blessed! I'm sorry I haven't replied individually to each of you, but I really appreciate your support.  
> Also, I've decided that I would stop updating the playlist everyday. I think I messed up one day and I'm too lazy to find when and get it back on track.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter :)

**January 27**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

Saying Jiwoo was upset was an understatement. She had gotten used to hang out with Sooyoung, at that point, but right when she got used to it, her friend was snatched away from her by an unknown girl who apparently was close enough that Sooyoung for her to let her see her underwear. The redhead knew she was not being rational when she got mad for that. She, herself, had seen her friend’s underwear, even though she had been too embarrassed to look longer than a second.

What upset her the most is that, since she had hung out more with Sooyoung, she had hung out less with Yeri. And now, they had grown apart and she was left without any of them. Or at least, that was how she felt. Yeri probably would not mind hanging out with her again, but in the meantime, she had grown closer to other girls that Jiwoo barely knew, and she would feel weird to tag along.

To sum it all up, the freshman was feeling resentment. Yet, she did not want Sooyoung to know how she felt, because she did not want her friend to feel guilty over something she could not control. Jiwoo had to deal with her emotions better, and the taller girl could not do anything about it.

The bell rang.

“Jiwoo! Can you get it, please?” her dad called from his office.

“Sure!” she shouted back.

She started walking down the steps, the huge smile that she always gave strangers already effortlessly glued to her face. She opened the door and her face fell for a second, but she regained composure immediately, giving the girl she was thinking about only two minutes earlier a timid smile.

“Sooyoung! What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I’d stop by in case you were here.”

So, maybe Sooyoung had not completely forgotten about her. Jiwoo’s smile went back to normal and she opened the door wider and extended her right arm towards the living room.

“Come in! I’ll make cookies.”

“No, please don’t!”

Jiwoo frowned.

“I’m on a diet” Sooyoung added.

Jiwoo’s jaw dropped.

“YOU?! On a diet?? Are you insane? Have you seen your body?? What do you want to lose? Muscle? You know your muscle is gonna melt if you lose any weight, right? Where are your abs gonna go?”

Sooyoung grinned.

“So you looked at them, huh?”

Jiwoo’s face flushed.

“I mean, YOU asked me to look at you in your underwear.”

Sooyoung had forced her to look at her body, and was now making fun of her for being shy about it? This was not going well.

“Yeah I wanted to see if you’d actually do it. Plus, I really needed your opinion.”

“Of course, I’d do it, you’re my friend! What did you expect?”

Sooyoung sat down on the couch like it was her own and patted the seat next to her, inviting her friend to sit down.

“I’m glad you’re my friend, because I’m pretty confused right now, and I need help.”

Jiwoo excitedly grabbed both of Sooyoung’s hands.

“What can I help you with?” she asked and flashed her her brightest smile.

Sooyoung’s expression changed. She looked… vulnerable? Her gaze was fixated to the floor, and Jiwoo was not sure she had ever seen her friend lose her confident façade.

“It’s about Chaeyoung.”

Jiwoo gasped.

“The girl we saw when we went shopping?”

Her chest started to constrict, and her feeling of resentment was trying to surface, but she would not let it. She had to be there for her friend, especially if she was willing to show some kind of vulnerability, which she had never done before. Jiwoo was partly flattered that her friend trusted her, and partly upset about the topic.

“Yeah.”

“I knew something was up” Jiwoo replied.

Sooyoung pouted, and Jiwoo remembered that maybe she should not have reacted the way she had reacted when they had met with the blonde.

“I didn’t. I thought it was clear to me.”

Jiwoo squeezed her hands.

“Explain me the situation, please. We’ve never really talked about it.”

Which was something the redhead had been both relieved and sad about. She did not want to hear the full extent of it because she did not want to know how Sooyoung had replaced her, but she had still been sad that her friend would not confide into her more. Now was probably the time where it all would change.

Sooyoung sighed and started explaining.

“I met her at the Loonatic, and… what was bound to happen happened. But she immediately surprised me because for once, she did not ask to stay the night. She just left like it didn’t matter, and it’s not what usually happens. Usually girls want to spend the night.”

“Can you blame them?” Jiwoo asked, a hint of bitterness tinting her words, but she realized it. “Sorry, go ahead.”

Sooyoung did not pay any mind to her reaction and resumed her story.

“And then, we’ve started hanging out, and sleeping together, very casually. And I’ve always been surprised by how independent she was. I’ve rarely seen someone who is not clingy, and I don’t know… I think I find it attractive?”

Jiwoo nodded. Was that how other people felt about clingy girls? Maybe it was the reason she could not get a girlfriend.

“But not attractive like I just wanna have sex with her, you know? Another kind of attractive. So, now we’ve been hanging out more, and I feel more drawn to her. And I can’t explain it because it’s never happened to me, and it’s scary.”

Ha Sooyoung scared by a girl… Jiwoo would have never thought she would see it one day.

“Soo, you’re telling me you’ve never had a crush on girl?”

“A crush? Hell no. I don’t love her or anything.”

Jiwoo rolled her eyes and shook their hands.

“It starts with a crush, and then you end up falling in love.”

“How do I avoid that?”

Jiwoo frowned.

“You don’t? The attraction is clearly mutual, so just go with the flow and enjoy it.”

Sooyoung shook her head.

“I don’t think she likes me.”

Jiwoo let go of her hands to lift her chin and force her gaze up.

“She likes you enough to sleep with you _and_ hang out with you. If she does both, she probably really appreciates you. You could just be her booty call, but it doesn’t sound like it. Why don’t you talk to her about how you feel?”

“Because first: no way. And second, I don’t even know how I feel. I just feel drawn to her, and it’s weird, but I don’t know in what way I feel drawn, and it’s even weirder.”

“I think you need time to figure it out, sweetie. But don’t overthink it.”

The freshman knew that the last part of what she said was much harder said than done. She experienced it on a daily basis, but still, that was the best advice she could give to someone who was not used to being deep in their thoughts.

“You’re right. Thank you, Jiwoo.”

Sooyoung hugged her, and the redhead realized how much she had missed it. Hopefully, now that she was turning into her confident, they would see each other more. She squeezed her friend back.

“I’ll never let you go, Soo.”

The brunette struggled against her.

“Okay, thank you Jiwoo, I love you, but I think I have to go for real.”

Jiwoo pouted, disappointment all over her face.

“We’ll hang out soon, I promise.”

The redhead did not exactly believe her, but she let it go. She did not want to have a bad reaction right after her friend and she had had the most honest conversation they had ever had.

“Yeah, we’d better.”

She walked Sooyoung to the door and hugged her one last time for good measure.

“Bye!” she said, and her friend waved as she walked away.

She sighed and got back inside. She went up the stairs and her the door to her dad’s office open. He looked at her inquisitively.

“Who was it?”

“Oh it was Sooyoung, my uni mentor. She was in the neighbourhood, so she stopped by.”

Her dad nodded and went back to work. She went back to the loneliness of her own room.

Sooyoung had stayed only minutes, and it was already more quality human interaction she had had since her last pair work with Yeri on Friday. She really needed to make more friends. Her eyes fell on the paper that was taped on the corner of her desk. Jinsoul’s number. She looked at it for a second, and, feeling an urge of bravery, she grabbed her phone and started typing. If Sooyoung could have something that looked like a relationship, maybe she could too.

Jiwoo: _Hi Jinsoul_ _😊_ _It’s Jiwoo, from the Loonatic (and Jungeun’s friend). I hope you don’t mind me texting you? My friend asked for you number a while ago._

She waited a few minutes, anxiously, before her phone buzzed.

Jinsoul: _Hi Jiwoo! No, I’m glad you texted me_ _😊_ _What are you up to?_

She sighed in relief. The older girl was just as nice then as she had been the two times they had met.


	47. Uno!

**January 28**

*** CHAEWON’S POV ***

Chaewon and Heejin had their backs hunched over their homework. The blonde was getting used to hang out at her own place now, and her room was starting to feel less lonely than it had for the past months. She had enjoyed hanging out with her best friend and her parents, but she was glad that she could finally feel at home in her on own home too.

“Chae, can you check my maths exercise, please?”

Chaewon raised a single eyebrow at her friend.

“You’re asking me to check you maths homework?”

Heejin nodded like she had actual faith in the blonde.

“Girl, I’m this close to dropping out” she said, making the gesture with her fingers.

“Come on, you’re not dropping out. Not on my watch!”

Chaewon rolled her eyes and focused on her literature text analysis.

“Sorry Heej, I suck at maths, you know that.”

Someone knocked on the door. It was weird. The only other person in the house was Hyunjin. Unless her mother had come back while they were studying. She and Heejin exchanged a surprised look.

“Come in!” Chaewon said.

The door opened on her stepsister, who stayed in the doorframe, holding a small red cardboard box.

“Do you guys want to play Uno?”

Chaewon choked on her own saliva because of the shocking offer. It would have been just as surprising if Hyunjin asked her to marry her. Unbelievable. Something that could never happen. She coughed, feeling the lack of air in her lungs, and Heejin gently patted her on the back. She had not noticed Hyunjin had disappeared until she had come back with a glass of water. She drank and thanked her stepsister.

“So, Uno?”

“I’ll play Uno with you, but only if you have a look at my maths exercise” Heejin replied, smirking.

Hyunjin nodded.

“Chaewon, are you playing with us?”

The blonde pondered the idea of leaving the two of them play together on their own, since she knew something was going on, but she would not miss an opportunity to get quality time with Hyunjin herself, since she literally had not had any. Ever.

“Yeah, let me just finish my paragraph while you correct Heejin’s maths.”

Chaewon moved a meter away so that Hyunjin would have space to sit next to Heejin. Her stepsister sat down, cross-legged, and Chaewon saw Heejin’s mouth open when their legs brushed together. She silently chuckled to herself. It was funnier than she had expected to see her bestfriend being confronted to the crush she had had for years, even though it had ended up being the person she least expected it to be.

“You’ve got all the right answers, Heejin” Hyunjin said, and patted Heejin on the back before standing up.

“Are you sure?”

Heejin looked up to her, bewildered. Chaewoon shook her head. Heejin was good at maths, she was simply insecure.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Hyunjin smiled softly at her and Chaewon would have sworn she had never seen such a kind expression on her stepsister’s face. Heejin’s eyes fell to the ground. She gathered her maths sheets, her hair framing her head. The tiny blonde saw her bestfriend’s face turning to a red tint.

“Chaewon, are you ready?” Hyunjin asked.

She had not even finished writing a sentence, too focused on observing the interactions between the two other girls. She got up and and placed her unfinished homework on her desk.

“Sure” she said, with a tiny smile.

It felt weird, that Hyunjin was talking to her so naturally, but it felt easy at the same time. The dark-haired girl was acting as if everything had always been fine, as if they usually hung out, and the blonde would not complain about it. It was nice.

Heejin, still sitting on the floor, extended a hand for someone to lift her up. Chaewon was about to grab it, but Hyunjin was faster. She shook her head and opened the door.

“Should we go to the dining room or living room?”

“The living room!”

Hyunjin’s words were fast, as if she was scared something bad would happen if they did not come out of her mouth right away. Chaewon frowned at her but headed downstairs anyway. Arriving in the living room, she contemplated her options: sitting on the couch, or sitting on the bench on the opposite side of the coffee table. She figured it would be funnier to watch Heejin gay panic if she was forced to share the couch with Hyunjin and opted to sit on the bench. The two girls sat on the couch, her stepsister confidently in the middle of it, and her best friend as far on the side as she could. Chaewon chuckled.

“What are you laughing at? get ready to lose!” Hyunjin said as she started shuffling.

The blonde was not used to hearing playful words coming out of her stepsister’s mouth. Not directed to her, anyway.

“Oh hi Furry!” Heejin squealed.

The cat had just jumped on the armrest of the couch, right next to her. Chaewon watched her pat him on the head and monitored closely Hyunjin’s reaction. She noticed the cat lying down on Heejin’s laps and smiled to herself before silently going back to shuffling the cards. If she was not getting possessive over her cat, it could only mean one thing: she really was whipped about Heejin. There was no doubt about it. She looked bitter every time someone touched her cat. Except maybe her mother. Just maybe.

“I’m gonna steal this cat” Heejin said.

This was about to get interesting.

“My cat? You’d steal my cat? It’s like stealing my heart and soul, you need to know that.”

Heejin gasped and Chaewon was in disbelief. She would have never thought Hyunjin could be that smooth.

“I’ll leave you the cat. We can’t have you die of cardiac arrest, I don’t wanna spend my whole life in prison with Chaewon.”

“Hey! You’re going to prison on your own, I have nothing to do with this!”

The blonde put her hands in the air as a defence.

“You’d let me go to prison on my own?” Heejin pretended to be shocked.

“I’d go with you” Hyunjin interjected.

“Not if you’re dead.”

“My ghost will come to haunt you.”

Heejin hit Hyunjin’s shoulder and the latter screamed in pain.

“Ouch!” she cried, looking really mad.

Heejin suddenly panicked, scooted closer to her and rubbed her shoulder.

“No, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Hyunjin bursted out in laughter.

“I’m a good actress, right? You cannot hurt me. I’m too strong for that.”

Hyunjin held out her arm to show her biceps. Chaewon rolled her eyes. This little exchange was very cute, but she was starting to feel like a third wheel.

“Okay guys, let’s play, now!”

The three of them played, and as in every Uno party ever, tacit alliances were made. Chaewon received all the draw 4 cards, and often had to pass turns because Hyunjin was making sure Heejin’s turn would come fast. Heejin did not even realize what was happening, she was playing exactly by the rules, not noticing how Hyunjin made everything in her power to make sure that Chaewon would lose so that she could win. The results in the end were not surprising: Heejin won. And Hyunjin, who would usually be mad when she lost, cheered her on. Chaewon rolled her eyes once more, and everyone thought she was being a poor loser. She was just annoyed at how obvious the two of them were being without even seeming to realize it themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you're excited for what's coming next!
> 
> If you feel uncomfortable leaving feedback in the comments, please send me feedback, questions, your theories about what's gonna happen for every character, or whatever you want in my [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/lipsomniac). It would make me happy, I never receive anything there 😂
> 
> You can also follow me on twitter if you want @lipsomniac, I have ongoing AUs there :)


	48. Newcomer

**January 29**

*** HYEJOO’S POV ***

Hyejoo got home that day, thinking that every day was the same. She would get up in the morning, sigh, get dressed, get breakfast, brush her teeth, put light make-up on, and walk to school with Yeojin. Then, she would watch Yeojin and Yerim be disgustingly cute together, and they all would go to class. Class would be boring, and she would not understand half of it, and Yerim would be kind to her and explain. And then, she would watch the two girlfriends be clingy again during lunch break, and she would go back to class, which would be as boring as the first time, and then she would watch her friends be lovey-dovey outside the school gate, and she would finally go home with Yeojin.

Hyejoo liked being with people, but she also liked her alone time. She liked her friends but seeing them being so close reminded her that she did not have that kind of friendship with anyone, and that maybe, she would need to make more friends at some point. But every time she thought about it, she remembered how much she loved her own company. No one could bother her, if she did not care about anyone. No one could abandon her, if she did not give them the chance too. To her, only herself was reliable. She had to be. If she could not rely on herself, what would happen once her only two friends would go their separate ways? It would happen. She knew it. After high school, they would all follow their own paths. But Yeojin and Yerim would find a way to be together no matter what, and their plans would not include Hyejoo. Which was both a disappointment and a relief for the taller girl. Did she want to be included in the couple’s life as their third-wheel friend? Probably not.

She was independent and would go her own way. That was, if she ever finished high school.

Obviously, when Hyejoo came back from school, doing her homework took her only about a tenth of the time it took her to play videogames. She had been playing every day for years and had become really good at it. She had thought of starting a Twitch channel, but she was young, and did not want to fight with her parents, who disagreed with the idea. But her parents were far away, now. What could possibly happen if she did it? The temptation to go against authority was strong, but she was not ready to start a revolution yet.

She had just turned on her personal computer, when she heard the door open downstairs. She figured Sera was coming home from the grocery store.

“HYEJOO! Can you please come downstairs? We have a guest I’d like you to meet!”

A guest? That person was lucky that she had not started to play yet. And that she was curious. She had sometimes seen Sera have guests over, but she would never call Hyejoo to introduce her. It was not that the woman forgot her or did not want to introduce her to people, but rather that she preferred to let the young girl play rather than bother her with introductions to people she would never see again. Hyejoo really appreciated how mindful Sera was. She was expecting the person who was waiting in the lobby to be interesting.

She turned off her PC and got downstairs. The thin woman was standing next to a red-haired girl with bangs who was clearly shorter than her. The girl had big eyes and wore a smile just as big.

“Hi! I’m Jiwoo!” she said, in a very cheerful tone.

“Hi. I’m Hyejoo” she gave her a slight smile.

The redhead skipped towards her, but Hyejoo did not budge at all, already overwhelmed with the girl energy. Jiwoo seemed to notice and stopped in her tracks.

“You’re not a hugger, are you?” she asked.

Hyejoo shook her head. She was not used to gestures of affection. She had been starting to slowly accept Yerim’s, but that was about it. It would not spontaneously come from her, and it would be especially worse with strangers.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to like hugs” Jiwoo said.

Hyejoo nodded. She still did not understand why the girl was there.

“Would it be okay if Jiwoo spent a month with us, Hyejoo?”

Hyejoo opened her eyes wide. The other girl’s face dropped slightly. The black-haired girl did not mean to look upset; she was just surprised.

“Sure!” she said, trying her best to look friendlier.

“Good. Her dad has to go on a business trip for a month from next week on, and he asked me if I could take her in. Why don’t you guys go to your room to get acquainted?”

Was this place a youth hostel or a foster home? Hyejoo did not know anymore. Maybe Sera liked to take in lost souls whose parents abandoned temporarily. She could only hope that Jiwoo was not as loud as she was energetic. She had met her for only a minute, and she could feel the girl was always like that. She did not mind the positive energy. She looked like a more hyper version of Yerim, whom Hyejoo had gotten used to relatively easily.

Hyejoo pointed her chin towards the stairs, inviting the other girl to come with her. She opened the door, and obviously, the redhead reacted quickly.

“Woaw! You keep it so neat! And you have so much gaming stuff!”

Hyejoo wanted to roll her eyes because of an enthusiasm overdose, but she did not.

“What games do you play?”

As if she would know any of them.

“League of Legends, PUBG…”

“PUBG? Really? I play that too! We should play together sometimes!” Jiwoo interrupted her.

“I think we’ll have plenty of time to do that when you’re here. Why are you staying here, of all places, by the way?”

Hyejoo needed to solve the mystery.

“I think my dad and Sera are dating. See, she’s my vocal coach. She comes over often. She’s met my dad a few times, and since then, he’s been leaving his office more often than he usually does. He also pays more attention to his looks. I thought something was up… but now that he’s asked her to take care of me, I’m pretty sure something is up. He must trust her a lot. Which can only mean one thing…”

“Where’s your mom?” Hyejoo suddenly asked.

Jiwoo gasped. Hyejoo instantly regretted her question. Maybe it was a sensitive topic.

“They’re divorced” the redhead said, pouting.

“Sorry, I didn’t know.”

Hyejoo was genuinely sorry. The kid was so bright that she did not think that anything bad could have ever happened to her.

“No, it’s okay! I can’t stay at my mom’s because she lives too far from here. I have to stay here for class.”

Her smile was still as bright, which reassured Hyejoo. She would not want to hurt a perfect stranger. Plus, she hated when people talked about her parents, and she knew it was insensitive of her to ask questions like that to others. But Jiwoo seemed unphased. Maybe her constant positivity would be a good thing, after all.

“What grade are you in?” the younger girl asked.

“I study music at university.”

“You’re a college student?!”

The huge smile and high level of energy screamed kid, and Hyejoo could not believe that the girl who was standing in front of her was older than her. Not by two years or more, anyway.

“Yes, I am!”

She bumped her chest with her fist proudly. Now Hyejoo could say she had a friend at university. When they would become friends, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished writing this chapter and proofread it when I was at work, so maybe there are still typos because I made sure no one was watching me.  
> Anyway, I hope you'll like this new soon-to-be friendship!


	49. Frankenstheejin

**January 30**

*** HEEJIN’S POV ***

Heejin kept replaying the images of her last hangout with Chaewon inside her head. She had always liked playing board games, and never cared much about winning, but something in the way Hyunjin had looked at her when she had won made her feel like she had won the Olympics and not just a simple Uno game.

“Is it your Frankenstein monster that makes you smile like that? I don’t think it’s an accurate portrayal.”

She turned around and was faced by none other than the girl whom she was thinking about. Her face flushed and she looked at her drawing. It was darker than she had originally planned. She could not tell the other girl the reason behind her smile was entirely something else. She had to escape the question.

“Do you think it looks like Frankenstein’s monster?” she asked.

Hyunjin did not help pulled up the chair next to her and sat down. She placed her sheet in front of her, and Heejin could not resist the urge to get a peak of what she had drawn.

“Hyunjin, you literally draw your cat.”

The other girl beamed at her.

“Yeah, I know.”

Heejin looked at her drawing closer. It was pretty cute. Some would think it was just any cat, but Heejin had seen Furry and could recognize the particular shape of the stripes on his head.

“It’s a self-portrait assignment” she pouted.

“My cat is my double. He looks like me much more than the monster you draw looks like you. It’s all distorted, you look much prettier than that.”

Heejin gasped. Was the other girl criticizing her drawing, or complimenting her? She did not know.

“What if I was portraying my mind, and not my appearance?”

Hyunjin smiled. Could she stop smiling? The spark in her eyes almost made Heejin feel dizzy.

“You are an artist, so you probably have a weird mind. But you’re bright. Not dark.”

Suddenly, Heejin used her weird artist mind to give herself enough strength to lock eyes with her.

“How do you know?”

Hyunjin stared at her, and Heejin could feel all her skin burning under the intensity of her gaze.

“I just do.”

The two girls stared at each other for two whole seconds before Hyunjin looked away and resumed her drawing. Heejin shook her head to keep herself from staring longer and decided to discard the drawing the was already making. She did not want to throw it away. It felt meaningful to her. She turned the sheet from the other side. She bit her pencil, looking for something to write, and stopped as soon as she saw Hyunjin look at her. She did not want the other girl to see her bad habits.

She finally lay the tip of the pen on the paper and started scribbling.

“ _Thank you for seeing through me better than I did myself._

  * _Frankenstheejin_ ”



She looked at what she had just written, hesitating to scribble over it and start over, but when she thought about it some more, the phrase she had written meant exactly what she wanted to convey in that moment. She was surprised that Hyunjin paid enough attention to her to notice things about her inner personality. And she was glad for it.

She slipped her drawing over to the side.

“It’s for you.”

“Aren’t you gonna give it to the teacher?” the other girl asked, while grabbing the sheet carefully.

“No. A wise person once said to me that I was bright, and I think they were right. I can do it better.”

Hyunjin smiled and looked at the paper before placing it carefully on the side of her desk, without looking to the other side. For a second, Heejin would have sworn she saw the girl look at her lips. But she knew she could not have seen it right. Or maybe she did? She did not understand why Hyunjin had decided to sit next to her right in the middle of art class either. Maybe the other girl saw through her, but the opposite was not true: Chaewon’s stepsister was still a mystery to her. One that she did not know if she wanted to solve, or if she just wanted to keep that way because she liked the idea of the multiple possibilities offered by its very own mysterious nature.

The artist loved daydreaming. She liked imagining multiple versions of the universe, and as long as she did not have a definite answer to her questions, she could still imagine Hyunjin as her girlfriend, in another dimension. If she ever tried to clear the air, and that what she thought she may have seen was not true, she would lose this fantasy for ever.

For a few years, she had imagined Hyunjin in many different ways. At first, she was the jock who only cared about sports. Then, she was the loner, who did not really like people. Heejin had seen her change all at once when her father died, but could not do anything about it, because they were not friends. All she had known about the other girl, for years, was that she felt drawn to her. But since they had had a chance to hang out outside of class, and even now share a moment in art class, which was one of the most important things to her, she was discovering a sweet side to Hyunjin that she had only ever seen a few years ago, before she had turned into a darker version of herself – which Heejin could never blame her for – and had not had the opportunity to see since.

As they each draw in silence, side by side, Heejin realized that she had a lot to learn about the girl she had been watching from afar for years.

She gently poked Hyunjin’s shoulder to get her attention.

“Is this one better?” she asked, pointing to her new drawing.

She was confident about her art, but somehow, the younger girl’s point of view mattered more than her objective views on her own artwork. Hyunjin looked at the drawing and Heejin could see a smile creep on her face.

“Yeah, you’re really cute!”

She would not have thought that Hyunjin would like her manga drawing of herself. She might have laughed at her.

“The drawing is, yes. That’s what I was aiming for.”

“I was talking about you. But the drawing is you, so I guess it works.”

Heejin did not want to think about what compliments as simple as that could mean. She did not want to let her mind wander that path.

“Thank you” she almost whispered, as she took her drawing back to add a final touch. “I’m gonna give it to the teacher, do you want me to give her yours at the same time.”

“Yeah, I’m done too, I was just waiting for you.”

Hyunjin handed her the cat drawing. Even the self-portrait she had made of herself through her cat’s face was full of mystery. Heejin smiled at her and gave both portraits to the teacher. She went back to where the other girl was and started gathering her school stuff quickly.

“I have to go wait for Chae, now. It was nice talking to you.”

She smiled and left the art room before Hyunjin had time to protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone's saying in my earpiece that 2jin is coming. What do you think about them? Are you ready?


	50. Skipping Beats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!  
> Again, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. Life is... complicated at the moment.  
> Thank you so much for your patience and support. I really appreciate it!  
> Can you believe it's been 50 updates already? this fic is longer than a novel.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

**January 31**

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

Hyunjin usually dreaded Fridays because they were the day weekends started, and she hated weekends. She was either alone in her room or spending time with her family. The latter had become more tolerable recently, and she had even found that Chaewon was actually a decent person. She had not tried to hang out with her stepsister without Heejin being there yet, but she knew she would, at some point. She just was not ready yet.

A lot of things Hyunjin did not do had to do with her not being ready to do them yet. She could not explain when or how she had become so cautious about things, but it was something she had to deal with. That day, however, she felt ready. She felt unstoppable, just like she used to feel when she played basketball. The ball was hers, and she was ready to shoot. That is how she felt.

It was probably not the way she was supposed to feel in algebra class, but even the numbers could not stop her from getting _the_ number she wanted to get.

The bell rang, and she literally jumped out of her chair, flying across the room. She planted her feet in front of a slightly smaller girl, who looked surprised, to say the least.

“Heejin, let’s get out of here!”

That was not what she had planned to say. At all.

“What do you mean? We have English class, now.”

Hyunjin saw her stepsister coming their way. She had to think fast. She grabbed the other girl’s hand and pulled her towards the door. Heejin told her to stop, but the way her footsteps followed her without opposing any resistance said more about her willingness to follow Hyunjin than her words.

“Hyunjin, English class is the opposite way.”

The taller girl did not want to skip class, but she was panicking. They got to the end of the hallway, and she opened a door towards the back garden. She had always wondered why their school grew vegetables, but it was now coming in handy.

“Wait, stop! Let me at least text Chaewon. She probably doesn’t understand why we left so suddenly.”

Hyunjin did not understand either, although she was the one who made it happen. She stopped walking but did not let Heejin’s hand go for fear that she would run away from her once she realized that this hand was all that linked them together in this wild escape. If she let go of the girl’s hand, she could go back to class. And now that they were together, class did not matter, after all. They would catch up later. Chaewon would not skip, and Hyunjin could corrupt her into giving her her notes.

Heejin used her free hand to text Chaewon.

“She’s asking where we’re going. What do I tell her?”

Hyunjin pouted.

“Does she really need to know?”

Heejin looks at her screen.

“It’s for safety reasons. In case something happens to us.”

Hyunjin shook her head. Saying where they were going would take all the magic of the surprise away. Plus, she wanted it to be special. She did not want anyone else to know the place. The place was for Heejin and Heejin only.

“Nothing will happen to us, I promise. It’s safe. Just tell her I don’t want to say it, but she has to trust me.”

She had never done anything for her stepsister to be able to trust her. She had done quite the opposite. But she knew the blonde was smart and would understand. And there was also the fact that all Chaewon knew about her was that she was stubborn and that she would not let it go. Which was how she knew that she would not insist.

“She sent an eyeroll emoji” Heejin pouted, visibly wanting to give her bestfriend a response.

“She’ll get over it. Please, trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

Hyunjin did not know what she was doing. She only knew where they were going.

The reason she wanted to ask Heejin her number was to ask her to hang out during the weekend because she had a place to show her. She might have panicked and made them skip class instead of just asking for the number, but it was too late to go back, anyway, so she might as well take the girl where she would have taken her if she had gotten said number.

Heejin looked at her and gave her hand a squeeze that sent electricity all over her body. She took the cue and started walking again, but slower than before. They were almost out of school now, and there was no point in rushing.

“Can you tell me where we’re going? I won’t tell Chae, I promise.”

“Aeong.”

It was Hyunjin’s way of replying to anything she did not want to reply to. She would just meow.

“You’re a dork” Heejin said.

“Aeong.”

“You’re cute.”

Hyunjin looked away as she felt her face flushing. She would not react to what Heejin had said, not even an aeong, and she would not let her see her embarrassment either. They got to a back gate that was wrapped in blackberry bush. The taller girl let go of the other girl’s hand.

“Step back” she said.

She pulled a Swiss army knife that her father had gifted her when she went to her first – and only – girl scouts meeting when she was eight years old out of her pocket. She cut through the bush and pushed it out of the way carefully before opening the gate. She invited Heejin to walk through it and followed her, shoving her knife back in her pocket.

She started leading the way awkwardly. It was easy to lead her friend when she held her hand, but it would be weird if she grabbed it again, so she just walked next to her, adapting her pace to hers. They walked in the empty street behind the school for a while, both being seemingly mindful about the other’s walk, until Heejin grabbed her hand. They then walked in silence. Hyunjin did not know what to say about the other girl’s bravery, anyway. The handholding was overwhelming enough. They did not need to make conversation.

They reached the end of the street and Hyunjin led them in the woods in front of them by a small opening between the trees.

“Where in the world are you taking me?” Heejin complained as she struggled to walk because of the surrounding vegetation.

“Just walk in my footsteps. We’re getting close.”

The older girl did not complain anymore after that.

After fighting with many plants, the girls arrived in a meadow. In the middle of it was a decayed building. Hyunjin stopped for a few seconds so Heejin could take the view in. The grey walls covered with ivy were impressive, but she did not expect it to take the other girl’s breath away that much. Seeing the awed expression on her face, she knew that she had made the right choice by bringing her there.

“Come on, let’s go inside” she said and gently pulled on Heejin’s hand.

There were no doors or windows left, so they simply got through the frame where a door was supposed to be. When they got inside, Heejin stopped and gasped. The sunlight was peaking through the curtains of ivy that fell over the empty window frames and created waves of light on graffitis and mural paintings. Heejin walked towards the wall and touched it with her free hand, as if it would make the painted characters come alive.

“What is this place?” she asked, without looking at Hyunjin.

“Apparently it used to be a classroom from our school. I don’t know why they left it. There are stories but I don’t know if they’re true. I just know that kids used to come here to skip until they put the wire fence around school a few years before we got there.”

Heejin turned to her.

“How do you know about it?”

“Jiwoo told me that a friend of hers told her that a friend of theirs had discovered a secret place in the woods behind school. So I explored a bit and found it. I came here often after my dad died. It’s peaceful.”

Heejin’s gaze was still fixated on hers, and none of them was flinching.

“Your dad’s death impacted you a lot, didn’t it?”

Hyunjin’s gaze fell on the floor. Usually, those questions with obvious answers annoyed her, but this time, it did not. She could feel it was Heejin’s way of encouraging her to talk on her own terms.

“Yeah. I’ve become so sad that I turned bitter. I shut everyone out, except maybe Jiwoo, and I quit everything. Nothing was the same. I haven’t felt happy in a long time. I couldn’t stand seeing my mom become happier while I couldn’t.”

Heejin brushed her hand with her thumb.

“Is that why you’ve hated Chaewon?”

“Because she represented my mother moving on from her grief and starting something new as if my dad had never existed? Yes. That’s probably why. It’s dumb. I feel bad that I’ve treated her this way, you know? She didn’t deserve it.”

Hyunjin was not used to talking so much about her past or her emotions. Even if she was an open book with Jiwoo, she would most of the time keep her answers short and not delve into her feelings. Being raw, that day, felt surprisingly natural. She dared to look up and there was no judgement in the other girl’s eyes, only warmth. She resumed talking.

“I think being scared you would hate me for my behaviour made me realize how poorly I’ve treated her.”

“Me? Why?”

Hyunjin felt Heejin tense up, but she would not back away. If she was being honest, she would be entirely honest. Her stubbornness always made her go all the way through things and that day would be no different.

“I don’t want to freak you out, okay? It feels like we’ve been talking only for a few days, but we’ve known each other for years, and… I like you.”

Heejin’s eyes went wide, and the O that her mouth formed could have been the perfect shape to fit in a poster to learn the alphabet. Hyunjin felt her bravery start to fade, and she started talking again before she could lose it completely.

“I have for years, to be honest… I originally wanted to confess when school last started, but my mom had married Chae’s father during summer, and it messed everything up in my head, and I was lost and acted poorly, and then I could not confess anymore because, you know… Chae’s your bestfriend, and we were pretending we didn’t know each other. But I can’t hold it back anymore.”

She had said it fast, like she was scared the words would vanish from her head if she did not speak them soon enough. She looked at the other girl quizzically, scanning her face for the slightest hint of a reaction. Heejin closed her mouth that had hung open the whole time. The blood was boiling inside Hyunjin. The tension between the two of them was electric and the air was thick.

“I… wasn’t expecting that” Heejin admitted.

Hyunjin could not tell if it was a good or a bad reaction.

“I feel dumb” Heejin added.

“Why?” Hyunjin did not miss a beat.

“All these years I haven’t confessed to you because I thought you did not remember I existed except when we did pair work together. I could have been a part of your life long ago. I could have been there for you when your dad died.”

Hyunjin frowned. She felt like she understood what the other girl was saying, but part of her wanted to tone down the hope in case she was understanding it wrong. She needed clarity. She needed to be sure.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying that I like you too.”

“Are you sure?”

Hyunjin suddenly hated herself. She could not believe that what was happening was actually happening but asking about it so openly was not the right way to go about it. She had messed up the second the words had come out of her mouth, she knew it. She started to panic.

Heejin intertwined the fingers of the hands they were still holding and brought her other hand to Hyunjin’s cheek. The taller girl stopped breathing, overly conscious of the contact between their skin.

“I am sure.”

Heejin took a step towards her and closed the gap between their mouths in a soft, lingering kiss. Hyunjin did not know if she felt so light-headed because it was her first one, because it was Heejin, or because it was the happiest she had felt in literal years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so, I was very excited about this chapter. I hope I did it justice, because inside my head, it sounded good, but you know, writing is a whole other thing. I hope you liked it! please tell me!


	51. Over The Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers,  
> You know, when I first started writing this fic, I had in mind to write chapters that were shorter than 900 words, and I always write more than 1100 words every time. What would you guys think if I shortened the chapters? Do you prefer getting longer chapters but not as often, or would you prefer shorter chapters (about 700-900 words) almost every day? Please tell me.  
> Also, I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!

**February 1**

*** HASEUL’S POV ***

The weather was incredibly sunny, although the air was chill. For a winter afternoon, the weather was nice. Haseul allowed herself to close her eyes, letting the rays of sun caress her skin.

“What are you doing?”

Even with her eyes closed she would have recognized Kahei by her voice. She grinned before opening her eyes to look at her friend.

“I’m enjoying the moment. I’m glad we came out here.”

Kahei smiled, and Haseul realized how lucky she was to have such an adventurous friend who would always take her on adventures. Before she met Kahei, she had never particularly liked hiking. But when they became friends, Kahei had told her about how she had seen some amazing places in Korea on the internet, and how she was sad that she could not drive there. Obviously, Haseul wanted to make her happy, and had started driving her around.

And she had come to realize why Kahei liked hiking so much. It was less about the physical effort required to get to some secluded places than it was about the wonderful views, and the sensation of peace and quiet that one can find after overcoming a challenge. It was rewarding to take a break and look at the scenery after walking for a while.

Whenever Haseul went hiking with her friend, she felt human. She felt incredibly small in opposition to nature. She realized how nature could swallow her. Yet, it let her explore its nooks. She could hear birds, and even though she was scared of them, their chirping sound was a melody that she never got to hear in the city, and she was grateful that she got to experience it.

Kahei hugged her from behind and pointed at something that Haseul could not see.

“Look, there’s a paraglider down there!”

Kahei placed both her arms back around Haseul’s waist and the brunette squinted to see what her friend was looking at. A smile illuminated her face when she saw the colourful metallic bird.

“Would you like to fly some day?” she asked.

“Wouldn’t you? Imagine flying over all of this. The freedom…”

“I don’t know. I think I’d be scared.”

Haseul did not like the thrill. If she could look at the landscape from a quiet place, she would pick it over feeling like she was about to die because of the fall anytime.

“Would you be scared if I was doing it with you?” Kahei asked, placing her head on Haseul’s shoulder.

Haseul thought. She felt like nothing could ease her fright if she ever was to use a paraglider. But then again, Kahei’s presence _always_ felt comforting. Why would it stop? Even with void beneath her, her friend would make her feel good.

“Probably not.”

Kahei kissed her cheek, leaving her completely surprised, and walked away to pick up her backpack that she had left near a tree. Haseul was still in shock. The foreigner had always been affectionate, but it was the first time that she had kissed her cheek, and she felt like their friendship was solidifying itself. She felt glad. Every time they hung out with each other, they got closer. She had the feeling, deep down inside, that Kahei would always be a part of her life.

“We’d better go if we want to get that ice-cream!” the redhead said.

The short brunette came to her senses. A smile made its way onto her face, and she grabbed her own backpack, following her friend’s lead down the mountain.

* * *

“I told Hansol he could join us. Is that okay with you?”

Haseul realized that she probably should have asked Kahei beforehand, but she knew her friend well, and she also knew she would not have any objections, which was why she had allowed herself to text Hansol first.

“Sure.”

Kahei smiled and stuck her teaspoon in the ice cream bowl they were sharing. She did not seem phased by what Haseul had just told her, which made the younger girl realize she had not done anything wrong. Her friend would like Hansol, she was sure of that.

* * *

The ice cream place was full of people, but there was no way Haseul would not have recognized the tall man who had just walked through the door. She had known him for way too long to not recognize his face.

When he walked towards their table, he was smiling.

“Hello you two! How was your walk today?”

He looked both at her and at Kahei as he placed a hand on her shoulder and sat down next to her. Her friend smiled shyly without replying.

“It was amazing!” Haseul said. “The view was incredible.”

His face lit up and it was like millions of diamonds were sparkling in his eyes. Had he always looked at her this way, like she was a diamond herself? Now that she thought about it, he had always been a thoughtful, reliable friend. He had always showed her that he cared. Something felt different now, but were the things not the way they had always been?

“You’ll have to take me there, some day.”

He smiled at her, and it was like the world around them did not exist. Haseul could not explain how her body felt like it was like in another dimension. She was both completely cut off from the world and the situation she was living, and also completely overwhelmed by how real it was.

“Sure, we’ll take you there some day” was all she could say.

Their eyes locked, and the burning sensation of her soul leaving her body to go into that other dimension became stronger.

“Are you guys dating?”

Kahei’s inquisitive tone brought her back to the reality of the world on earth. She ought not to forget that she was still eating ice cream with her best friend. The redhead was wearing a poker face, and something about it felt colder than the food between them.

“N-“ she started replying.

“Yes, we are!” Hansol said at the exact same time, louder.

Haseul looked at his face and saw him beaming. She was surprised. Kahei was well aware that it was a joke meant for his friend, why would he keep acting? She did not understand what was happening. Why was he lying to her best friend when he knew that she was aware of the situation? Haseul had told him that she did not keep anything from Kahei.

Unless… he was not acting.

Finally, it made sense in her brain.

She had somehow guessed that the way he had been looking at her was too genuine to be pretense, yet she had not believed it could be real. She had not wanted to imagine it could be real, and therefore had dismissed the mere possibility of it. Now, it sounded very real. The look of happiness on his face was one that a person cannot fake.

Kahei was looking at her, expecting confirmation of what she had just heard. Haseul did not know how she felt herself. ‘Dating’, what did it even mean? Nothing had changed between them. They were still the same people, doing the same things when they saw each other as they used to. The only difference was that other, new dimension in which she felt like she was going when she was around him. She did not know what the word ‘dating’ would mean to them, but it felt nice, and she decided not to go against what he was saying. She shrugged and smiled at her friend.

“Apparently we are.”

Haseul expected her friend’s face to light up. She expected her to share the happiness that had obviously crept on her face. But Kahei smiled only slightly before looking at the ice cream and fixating her gaze on it.

* * *

Hansol had been talking about anything and everything for about half and hour before he decided to leave. Haseul would have wanted him to stay longer, but he apparently had to pick his little brother up from taekwondo practice. Before he got up from his chair, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, and she felt like her heart was about to burst.

“See you later, Haseul! You too, Kahei”

Haseul liked that he was warm to her friend and made sure to include her in their conversation although he talked ridiculously slowly to make sure she understood although he had heard her speak Korean well. She told herself it came from a good intention.

Her gaze followed him until he was out in the street, and then she sighed in content, looking at her friend. She realized something was wrong. Kahei’s face was closed, and her expression was undecipherable. Haseul frowned.

“Are you okay?”

Kahei locked eyes with her, and it was like daggers were coming out of them.

“You could have told me.”

Haseul felt a chill down her spine. She could feel that her friend was mad at her, although she did not understand why.

“Told you what?”

“That you were dating? I mean, I’m your friend, I’d like to know this kind of things.”

The disappointment in the redhead’s voice made Haseul’s chest constrict. She pouted.

“I didn’t know.”

“You were dating someone and didn’t know it?”

Haseul shrugged.

“We never talked about it. I had no clue.”

Kahei rolled her eyes, but her body relaxed. Haseul thought she could literally see tension coming out of her body and dissipating in the air.

“Of course, you had no clue… Are you happy?”

She wondered what her friend meant. It felt like she had known something that Haseul had not known, and like it was obvious. Nothing in this situation felt obvious to the younger girl, except the feeling of content she had felt until she had seen her friend bothered.

“Yeah, I think I am. I mean, it’s so new, I haven’t had time to realize yet. I learnt it at the same time you did.”

Kahei nodded. Haseul knew she understood.

“What are we doing tonight?” the redhead changed topics.

“How about we go to the movies?”

The weekends were really Haseul’s favorite time of the week. The time she got to spend with her friend at her place, when her feeling of being at home was divided between her house and family and her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S.: LOONA FIRST WIN!!!!  
> omg omg omg omg I can't believe it. Have you cried yet? Are you happy? Let's all celebrate together!!


	52. Scorpio Intuition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after much consideration, I can't leave you hang like that without content. Some chapters (starting with this one) will be considerably shorter. Those are chapters that will be less important, kind of filler chapters, which is why they're gonna be shorter, because I'm just gonna keep it to moments that are actually necessary to the story. Other chapters will be as long as the previous ones, with more interactions, more fluff, more angst too. Hopefully I'll keep writing as many updates like before as I can. How does that sound to you?
> 
> That being said, my country (France) is on complete lockdown because of covid-19 and I'm on quarantine because I'm sick, which means I'm not allowed to go outside even for groceries shopping and will have more time to write, and you should get updates more often to keep you busy in case you're on lockdown too. I'm gonna try to catch up as much as I can on the story's calendar.  
> My thoughts are with everyone whose life has been impacted by the virus, and especially to hospital staff. Please take care of yourself and stay at home as much as possible even if your government hasn't told you to do that just yet, be responsible ♥

**February 2**

*** YEOJIN’S POV ***

School year was about to finish, and Yeojin had much better things to do than be stuck with her extended family on a rainy Sunday. She was late on her studying and had a lot to catch up on. Maybe if she had not spent so much time with Yerim she would have studied before, but her subconscious preferred to shake the guilt away, thinking that she did not have time for it, not providing any solid excuse, and that she would start studying now. She would even go to the extent of making her family guilty of keeping her away from her textbooks that day.

But she would not do that, because she was still happy to see Haseul, her parents, Sera, and their grandmother. You would think: what about Hyejoo? Yeojin saw her every day at school and the traditional Sunday lunch was not an event in their friendship.

And, although she tried her best not to let it show, she was still suspicious about the letter. Especially since Hyejoo had considerably warmed up to her recently. The last note she had received did not help.

“ _Dear Yeojin,_

_It’s been a while. I hope you haven’t forgotten about me. You must be wondering who I am. I wish I could tell you but I’m scared it would ruin our friendship._

_You made me smile today. Thank you. Have a nice weekend!_

_Your secret admirer._ ”

She had found the note in her locker, again, and had to hide it inside of one of her notebooks so that Yerim would not see it. She did not want to keep it from her, but if the letter was from Hyejoo, it could indeed ruin their friendship. And if their friendship was ruined, it would also create family drama, and Yeojin was not ready for that.

She preferred to simply ignore the letters and act exactly as usual with Hyejoo. The older girl did not let anything show. If she was not the only possible culprit, Yeojin would have never guessed that something was going on and that she might be developing feelings for her. She would have preferred being blissful about it than being in the situation she was in now: in mental turmoil without being able to talk about it with anyone.

“Haseul, how is your composition work going?”

Yeojin was often amazed at how sharp her grandmother’s memory was. She remembered every detail of their lives, even the most insignificant ones, and would always find a way to bring them up. She looked at her cousin and noticed that she was beaming. Haseul was usually a cheerful person, but this time, it felt like she was literally glowing. Yeojin frowned. Something was up.

“We’re done producing it. We’ll be showcasing it in front of the class tomorrow and we’ll get the results of the evaluation on Friday.”

The black-haired girl, whose small height, just like Yeojin’s, had been inherited from their grandmother, had always been hard-working, and the younger girl was happy to see her finally reaching the goals she had been trying to achieve for years.

“That’s good! Can we hear it?” Sera asked.

“Not yet, but after graduation you will!”

“You can send me a YouTube or Spotify link, I know how it works! Yeojin taught me!” their grandmother said, looking proudly in the youngest’s direction.

Indeed, one day, Chungha could not visit her mother because of an emergency at work and had asked her daughter to keep her company instead. Of course, Yeojin tried to use that time to bond with her grandmother over their shared – or not – taste in music. She had shown the old lady how to use streaming websites and had even written down a tutorial for her, on which she had drawn cute cartoons. The sheet was still taped on the wall next to the computer and she saw it every time she went to her grandmother’s office.

“I’ll make sure to send you a link to it by email, then!” Haseul winked.

“Thank you. How about you, Hyejoo? How is the dance studio?”

The tall girl, who was always quiet during family gatherings, sat up straight instead of slouching and cleared her throat.

“It’s nice. One of the girls has been helping me out a lot.”

“What’s her name?”

Sometimes Yeojin wondered if her grandmother would not ask for people’s address and social security number, or even bank account. She was very curious, and if curiosity was not a sin, she sometimes went overboard.

“Ha Sooyoung.”

Her grandmother nodded, as if she knew who Hyejoo was talking about, but everyone’s attention was captured by Haseul’s loud gasp.

“Ha Sooyoung… Tall, long straight dark brown hair Ha Sooyoung? Business major?”

Hyejoo shrugged, apparently not very informed about her dance mate’s life.

“I don’t know, maybe.”

Realizing that Hyejoo did not know or care, Haseul gave up on insisting, and instead turned to Yeojin, who could feel that something in her demeanor was weird. Too _light_. It was like Haseul was floating around with no feet on the ground. Before Haseul had time to ask her anything, she counter attacked.

“Is something going on Haseul? You seem very… joyful today.”

“Of course, I am! Class is almost over. I’m gonna graduate!”

Yeojin did not know if it was her Scorpio intuition, or the nanosecond in which she had seen Haseul pursed her lips before her bright smile came back, but she was sure that something else was up. However, they were with their whole family and she would not interrogate her cousin in front of everyone. She knew that at some point the truth would come out, because the older girl was an open book.


	53. It's All Fun and Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: "I will write shorter chapters."  
> Also me: keeps writing chapters over 1.100 words
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this one!

**February 3**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

When they got back to university on Monday morning, Kahei had not expected that Hansol would be waiting for them near the entrance of their building. She should have expected it, though. Haseul had talked about him all Sunday long, and the redhead had to pretend she was not feeling well to avoid going to lunch at Haseul’s grandma’s. It was the second time in less than a month that she did not go, and she had been scared that Haseul’s family would find it suspicious that she did not come. The last time she had said she had too much work to catch up on, but this time, she had known that the excuse would not work. She had to say she was not feeling well, and both Haseul and her parents let her off the hook. It was the only two hours when she had not heard about how fantastic Hansol was.

Kahei was happy for Haseul. And she understood why her friend was so excited after having unknowingly repressed her growing feelings for weeks. But still, part of it made her sad, and she did not know why.

When she saw Hansol by the stairs, and when Haseul let go of her hand to meet him, she had realized what it was: she was scared that her closest friend was slipping away from her. She had finally found someone who felt like family here, and she was not ready to be left on her own again. That realization had come and gone in her head over the last weeks, but she had unconsciously still hoped that her friend’s oblivion would save her from having to witness her fears turn real before her eyes.

But Kahei smiled anyway. If this guy made her friend happy, then she would be happy for her and would fight her abandonment issues on her own, like she had dealt with everything until she had met Haseul.

* * *

When they went together for lunch, it became clear to Kahei that Hansol’s perpetual presence was like an implicit deal. No one had talked about all the changes that were going on, but he was everywhere with them all the time. The worst out of all of it was that he and Haseul really tried to include Kahei in their conversation. But that was exactly how it felt: it was their conversation in which they invited her, and not a conversation that was shared between the three of them.

The redhead listened to them talk and watched their exchange like she was not part of the same world. The two of them were clearly building a world of their own, and they were trying to include her so they would not feel bad, but she could be missing from it and they would be just fine. She was fiddling with her bulgogi, and was taking all her time to eat, as it was her only distraction from the unfolding of a new romance that was happening right in front of her, on the other side of the table.

She raised her head once, and her eyes were met with Yoohyeon’s who was passing by with Handong. Her classmate, who had dyed her hair silver over the weekend, gave her a warm smile, but the one she gave back was not nearly as heartfelt.

The two girls went by and Kahei was left watching the new couple feeding each other, which she found gross. She had never wanted a meal to end more than in this moment.

When they talked to her, she did not even really pay attention. The knot in her stomach was getting all of her attention. Her short-term memory was not working, and she could not remember what their conversation was barely thirty-seconds previously.

“Hi! Do you mind if I steal Kahei from you? We have last minute details to discuss for our project!”

Kahei raised her head and stared at her partner. They did not have anything to discuss, they had made sure to not leave any last-minute details out to avoid stressful situations, and Haseul knew it. Still, the redhead could not believe she had even forgotten about their showcase because she had been too distracted, and she felt a rush of adrenalin going through her body. She was not in a state of mind where she could change anything from what was planned.

“No, please go ahead!” Haseul said, her smile as bright as ever.

Maybe Haseul had forgotten. Kahei’s lips tightened and she stood up, ready to follow the silver-haired girl.

“No, take your tray, you’re eating with us, it’s easier.”

Kahei looked at their table, where Handong was waving enthusiastically at her. She would have usually felt guilty of leaving Haseul, but suddenly, eating with the two other girls appeared to her as the only way to relieve herself from a painful situation, no matter how stressful the next one might be.

“I’ll see you at the showcase, Haseul. Bye, Hansol.”

She followed close on her classmate’s heel and sat down next to her.

“Hi Kahei! Are you okay?”

Handong was smiling, but she could see a tint of concern in her eyes. The redhead frowned, wondering where that came from.

“I’m okay, thank you. Yoohyeon, what did you want to talk about?”

The redhead was visibly anxious, but Yoohyeon’s smile widened.

“Nothing. Our performance is perfect, as you know. We just wanted to get you out of your misery.”

Kahei understood Korean pretty well, but she did not understand what Yoohyeon meant. She looked down and felt her face redden.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

She had not expected to sound so shy.

“She said she was rescuing you. You seemed uncomfortable over there.”

Handong explained things in Mandarin, which surprised Kahei. Yoohyeon had told her that Handong was a foreigner, but she had not expected her to be from China. It felt to her like they were neighbours who were meeting in a whole other town. Her project partner must have told her friend that she was from Hong Kong, hence the translation to a dialect that she knew Kahei had been studying for much longer than Korean. The redhead nodded as way to say thank you.

“I…” she started, not really knowing what to say.

“Come on, you really looked sad. I wonder how they didn’t notice!”

Yoohyeon seemed upset. Kahei was shared between wanting to protect Haseul from the girl’s dismay and being pleased that her classmate had been paying attention to her. She really was not expecting this. She glanced at Haseul and Hansol, who seemed like they were still in their own bubble. She shrugged. Yoohyeon’s words made her realize that, although she had noticed Haseul’s attempts at including her, her friend had not noticed her discomfort. Suddenly, a pang of pain ran through her chest.

“Anyway, we’re gonna have fun here! Let’s play a game.”

Yoohyeon’s enthusiasm was contagious. Kahei’s chest felt a bit lighter, although she could still feel a knot tying up her oesophagus. The silver-haired girl grabbed post-its in her bag and gave one to each of them.

“So, we have to write a person or character’s name on the post-it for the person on our right. The goal is to guess what character is on our forehead by asking yes or no questions. Is everyone familiar with this game?”

Both Handong and Kahei nodded. The redhead was amused at the idea that she would wear a post-it on her forehead in the middle of the cafeteria, but she was eager to start the game. She had never thought that lunches could be fun, and maybe Yoohyeon and Handong were there to show her what it was like.


	54. Home Stretch

**February 4**

*** JUNGEUN’S POV ***

The café was so busy with everyone coming in to study that Jungeun was doing overtime and had no idea when she could clock out. She was doing everything as fast as she could, hoping that the faster the work would be done, the earlier she could leave, but people kept coming in.

“Jungeun, stop.”

Wheein’s voice interrupted her preparation of a latte, and she looked up to see her colleague arms crossed. She looked at the drink she was making, trying to see where she had messed up, but she had not.

“Stop what? This is a perfectly good latte” she objected.

Wheein rolled her eyes.

“You’re running yourself ragged.”

Jungeun did not think she had heard such an annoying comment in a while. Blood was rushing to her ears, not only from the fast pace she was forcing on herself since morning, but also from how annoyed she was that Wheein was not working full speed.

“Why aren’t you? We need to get things done so I can get out of here!”

The blue-haired girl smiled, which upset Jungeun even more.

“See,” she started, pointing a finger to Jungeun. “You’re even snapping at me. That’s unlike you. You usually work well under pressure. What’s going on?”

Finals were going on. Because of her part-time job, she had less time than others to study, and although she had done it diligently the whole year, she was not sure it would be enough if she did not get those last, crucial hours of studying.

“I have a study session I should have gotten to an hour ago and no way to tell my friend why I couldn’t be there.”

Her tone was more aggressive than she had intended it to be. Yeri had specifically asked her to study with her so she would not get distracted. Jungeun not honouring her commitment could make her discouraged, and that was something the brown-haired girl wanted to avoid at all costs. Her classmate had had a tough year, and she really needed help to catch up on the classes she had missed.

“You can leave now. Yongsun is clocking in in ten minutes. I can manage until then.”

Jungeun had no idea how her manager would take it if she left in the middle of rush hour. She pursed her lips, pondering her options.

“Don’t stand there, just go. I’m taking over. I’ll take responsibility. I’ll tell her I told you to leave. You’ve already done a lot of overtime, anyway.”

Jungeun looked at her co-worker, her eyes showing gratefulness over the anger that preceded. She finished the latte she was preparing and put it in a tray so Wheein could page the customer to come and get it. She walked to the back door and stopped.

“Thank you, Wheein. I owe you.”

“No you d-“

Jungeun did not hear what the other girl had to say because she closed the door as fast as she could and hurried to her locker to get changed. The first thing she did was taking her phone out. She had received three messages.

Yeri: _I’m in front of the library, where are you?_

Yeri: _I’m in the booth you booked._

Yeri: _I guess you’re working late. It’s okay, I’ll be waiting for you._

She sighed in relief, and let her friend know she was just clocking out and that she would hurry to join her.

* * *

“Hi Yeri! I’m so sorry. I thought I’d never get out of there. The flow of customers never stopped.”

Her friend smiled, her big eyes still shimmering despite how late she was.

“It’s okay, I was expecting that. I started planning our revisions while I was waiting.”

Yeri handed her a sheet, with time slots, names of lessons, and color-coding. Jungeun sighed, relieved once again. She had been scared that Yeri would be messy, but she had planned everything out well, making her job as tutor for a day much easier. After the exhausting shift she just had, she would have had a hard time bearing disorder.

“Great! Let’s get working, then!”

She took her stuff out of her bag. And started going through her revision sheets, explaining her friend everything she had missed, while the other girl made flashcards so they could quiz each other.

* * *

“Thank you so much for your help, Jungeun! I don’t how what I would have done without you. I’m glad we’re friends.”

The brown-haired girl looked at the other and smiled, although she did not believe what she was hearing. Since the year started, she had been a loner, only relying on herself and not making any connection with anyone but her roommate. She did not even feel like she had taken time to get to know Yeri when they were in class. If she had to talk about her, she called her a friend, at loss for a better word, but she did not think they were particularly close, or that the other girl even appreciated her until she said that. She had always thought they were just classmates, helping each other out. Friends, maybe not. She did not know how she felt about qualifying their relationship as friendship. Therefore she decided to ignore the statement, giving her classmate a smile to mask the uncertainty.

“No problem! I’m glad I could help.”

Yeri smiled and turned back, ready to go. She started walking, and then stopped, giving Jungeun her warmest smile.

“We should hang out sometimes, you know?”

Jungeun smiled back.

“Sure.”

She had no idea if she would actually hang out with Yeri. She had a lot of work, a lot of studying to do, and she did not want to change her habits by going out more, or spending time with more people that could impact the pace she had set for herself. But Yeri was nice, so she could not refuse, despite how anxious it made her feel to potentially make a new friend.

“Great, I’m gonna go now. Bye Jungeun!”

The other girl turned around before Jungeun had time to wave.

“Bye, Yeri.”


	55. Early Nostalgia

**February 5**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

Jinsouls put her pen down. Her very last paper of her very last year in school was proofread. She could hand it to the teacher right away, but she wanted a few minutes to let it sink in. She would never come to university again. Not to learn anything, anyway. This was the last time she would set a foot in this amphitheater. She was seeing some of her classmates for the last time before graduation night. Now, everyone would go their separate ways. Or almost everyone.

She looked at them, one after the other. There were some she knew better than others, but she equally wished them to find the job they dreamt of and to be happy. All she could feel in this moment was not the stress of the exams, but the content of having achieved something. She had gone through her three years of undergrad, and she was getting out of university with a degree. She had met wonderful people who would hopefully live wonderful lives.

As she gathered the sheets she had spread all over her exam table, she smiled. Everything felt in its right place. She stood up and walked towards the desk to give her test to the teacher, gave him a warm smile and walked to the door, pushing it without an ounce of hesitation, finding herself immediately bathed in the sunlight coming through the giant glass walls of the building. Only then did she realize how beautiful the music building was under the sun. It was one of the most modern buildings on the whole campus, and she somehow regretted not having enjoyed it earlier.

She crossed the hallway and pushed the door leading to the outside, discovering that the air was still chilly even though the weather was beautiful. She shivered, but her eyes soon settled on someone she knew. She had to go talk to her.

“Haseul! How did it go?”

The girl quit looking at her boyfriend to turn her head towards her project partner. Jinsoul smiled warmly to her boyfriend and bowed her head quickly.

“I think it went okay. How about you?”

Jinsoul smiled.

“I think it was okay too.”

She looked at the tiny brunette a while longer. Of the many people she had gotten to know these last three years, Haseul might be her most recent acquaintance, but also one of the people she wanted to keep in touch with the most.

“Haseul, what are you doing next year?”

“I’m staying here, doing a master’s degree.”

Jinsoul nodded. She remembered Haseul telling her she wanted to teach music.

“What will you do, Jinsoul?”

It was a question that had triggered Jinsoul’s anxiety for a long time, but in the last few months, she had felt like she knew what she wanted to do, like it was obvious. Although she was conscious it would not be easy.

“I’m gonna audition to become an idol. I don’t know if it will work because I’m older than most trainees, but I wanna try. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll find a way to become a producer.”

“I’m sure you can do any of those. You’re really talented.”

Jinsoul would usually blush, but that day felt like the day she would become more confident. After all, she was achieving academic success, so maybe she could achieve many others things.

“You too, Haseul. Please promise me we’ll stay in touch.”

Her friend stepped away from her boyfriend and hugged her tight.

“Of course, we will! We’ll see each other at graduation, and I’m sure we’ll get plenty of occasions to meet after that.”

They let go of each other.

“Good, then. See you at graduation!”

She walked away, joy running through even the tiniest blood vessels of her body. Nothing could dampen her mood that day.

* * *

Except maybe finding Jungeun hunched over her desk.

“Jungeun, don’t you think you’ve studied enough?”

The younger girl did not even look at her, too focused on the task at hand. She was reading her revision sheets again.

“Jungeun, I’m serious. Your brain is gonna be fried.”

“Like your scalp before you dyed your hair back to black?”

Jinsoul gasped. She did not even know if her friend was being playful or if she was downright mean. The tone of her voice was neutral, so it could very well be sarcasm.

“One, that’s not nice. Two, you need a break.”

She did not move, but Jinsoul knew that she was internally rolling her eyes. These last few days, Jungeun had become more quiet, more irritable, and she really needed to snap out of that phase if she actually wanted to be relaxed enough to take her exams.

“I’m done with my exams” she stated, trying to see if it would get her a reaction.

“How did you do?”

Jungeun had still not even spared a glance at her.

“Fine, I think. I want to celebrate.”

Her friend was still reading, and frustration was growing inside of her.

“Jungeun, please. You have to take a break, let’s go out.”

“No.”

She opened her mouth, about to snap, but figured it was not the right way to go about it.

“Okay. Take your stuff if you want but we’re going out.”

No reaction.

“Please.”

The brown-haired girl pushed her chair back, and gave Jinsoul a pissed off look.

“Fine. If I fail my finals I’ll hold you responsible.”

Jinsoul shook her head, dismissing the statement. Jungeun had been studying way too hard not to succeed. And even if she was mad at her, she sadly would not have many occasions to express it.

“You seem to not realize that we don’t have much time left to spend together.”

Jinsoul wanted to spend as much time as possible with her roommate while she could, before they would live separately, living entirely different crazy lives. She could see a ghost pass through Jungeun’s eyes.

“Let’s go!” the younger one said, carefully tidying her revision sheets in the corner of her desk.


	56. Gossip Girls and Shoelaces

**February 6**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

Finals were coming up, and everywhere she looked, Yerim could see people studying. She herself had diligently studied at home and would not do it in the school hallways. She was far from being lazy. She simply wanted to spend her time in school differently, socializing. Seniors were even worse: they would study even in the cafeteria. All around she could see them hunched over their textbooks. When she saw a girl drop some kimchi on one of the open pages of her notebook, she knew she had better look away before she witnessed another disaster.

Her girlfriend was sitting next to her, eating like there was no tomorrow, and the sight got a chuckle out of her. She often wondered how such a small person could fit so much food into her mouth in one go. It was pretty impressive. Then again, when was Yerim not impressed by the girl she loved?

Yeojin’s eyes suddenly landed on her as she was about to slurp on noodles that were dangerously slipping from her sticks.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Because you’re cute.”

The answer had come naturally. All the answers always came easy when she was around Yeojin. It did not keep her from slightly blushing. Of course, after four years, they did not get embarrassed around each other anymore. Yet, no matter how natural it may feel, Yerim always felt that kind of warmth in her cheeks whenever they complimented each other.

“Hello, I’m here.”

Yerim smiled at the dark-haired girl sitting across from her, staring at them, holding her kimchi in empty air before shoving it into her mouth when she finally got their attention.

“Yes, you’re cute too, Hyejoo” Yerim teased.

Her friend almost spat out her kimchi, making the couple laugh. Yerim suddenly received a kiss on the cheek from her girlfriend, feeling her soft lips landing on her skin. Yeojin looked at her like she was the one who put the rainbows in the skies after cloudy days.

“You’re the cutest, Yerim.”

She could have sworn she had just seen Hyejoo’s eyes twitch. She might just be annoyed by their behaviour. Maybe they should tone it down a notch. Yet, she still did not stop Yeojin from looking at her lovingly and putting a strand of her hair behind her ear. She saw her friend look away and tried to tell Yeojin to stop being so touchy by communicating through her eyes, but her message somehow was not conveyed well.

“Wait, who’s that girl at Heejin and Chaewon’s table?”

Yerim’s eyebrows furrowed at Hyejoo’s statement. Heejin and Chaewon hanging out with someone? That was a first. Yeojin instantly took her eyes away from Yerim’s lips and spun around on her chair to look at the scene.

“Don’t turn around!” Hyejoo whispered hurriedly.

It was too late. Now, both Yeojin and Yerim were already looking at the black-haired girl sitting with the two other girls and… holding hands with Heejin?! That was unexpected.

“Is that Kim Hyunjin?” Yeojin asked.

“Yeah. It is” she confirmed.

Yeojin turned back to Hyejoo, but Yerim could not help but look at the situation. She did not know Heejin that well, and neither did she know Hyunjin, but she could have sworn she had never seen the new girl interact with any of the two others before. Something felt odd about it. Or maybe it was just Chaewon’s expression that felt odd. She looked less open than when she was on her own with Heejin. But it was not new that Chaewon was shy, so maybe she just did not know Hyunjin well and was intimidated?

“It’s Kim Hyunjin. She used to be captain of the basketball team in middle school. And then she… quit.”

Yerim could feel Yeojin was being considerate. Everyone knew Hyunjin’s dad had died. She had never acted the same ever since. She used to hang out with a lot different people. She was somewhat quiet but always easy-going. And then she suddenly disappeared. Yerim had only spotted her on a few – rare – occasions with Kim Jiwoo.

“Are they dating?” Hyejoo pointed her chin at the two dark-haired girls.

Yerim looked more intently. Their hands were intertwined, but that was not enough of a sign to judge their relationship by. But even from afar, Yerim could see their eyes sparkling just like hers and Yeojin’s would. The only possible conclusion was that these two were, at the very least, infatuated with each other.

“Apparently so.”

Yerim shrugged. It still felt odd to her. She was curious enough about it to know that she would make Chaewon go through an interrogation later.

“Chaewon looks uncomfortable.”

Hyejoo’s statement reminded her of her friend’s expression.

“Yeah she kinda does.”

She would really have to ask the tiny blonde what was going on. They had been talking a lot more to each other lately, but she still had never heard anything about Heejin getting a girlfriend. Which was, after all, not surprising knowing that Chaewon was secretive about her own business and would probably talk even less about her best friend’s love life.

Hyejoo shrugged and resumed eating her kimchi. Yerim turned to look at her girlfriend, and realized she was not sitting next to her anymore.

“Yeojin, what are you doing?”

Her girlfriend was crouching down under the table, tying Hyejoo’s shoelaces.

“I… hum… was tying Hyejoo’s laces while she was distracted.”

Yerim shook her head, not understanding a situation that felt so random it was surreal. Hyejoo immediately looked under the table, while Yeojin literally jumped to her seat, hitting the top of her head on her way.

“What the f*** Yeojin?! You tied my shoes together?!”

Hyejoo got up, ready to grab Yeojin by her collar over the table, but remembered she had her shoes tied and sat down, apparently to untie them. The younger girl sighed, relieved, but realized Hyejoo was up again, and had taken her shoes off, ready to fight.

“Uh, oh. Better run!” Yerim told her girlfriend, amused.

It had been a while since Yeojin had had any antic like this one, now that she thought about it. It felt good to see her come back to normal.

With this realization came another: she noticed she had not realized Yeojin had become quieter lately. She suddenly thought she had not paid enough attention to her. Although she was smiling, watching the two girls run around the cafeteria, her heart felt heavy.

Hyejoo was chasing Yeojin who was circling tables and getting in the way of people walking around with their trays, almost knocking them over. It lasted for a whole minute before, suddenly, for an unknown reason, the black-haired girl gave up on her chase and came back to her table. Yeojin followed cautiously, but Hyejoo seemed unphased, not even cursing at her. She kept her gaze strictly on her food, which Yerim noticed and found weird. Something in the air felt weird that day. It was like all of Yerim’s world was changing around her and she was stuck there, watching it happen.


	57. Stray Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! please prepare your heart for this one. Little dialogue ahead and a lot of feelings instead.

**February 7**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

Sooyoung was done with university forever. She had just finished her last exam, and she was very satisfied with herself. She had gone to university solely to pass time, and she was ready to enjoy her next adventure. She had no idea what it would be. She was thinking of getting a job but did not feel ready to commit to it yet. So, she had decided that she would give herself a well-deserved break. After all, she might not have studied as much as her counterparts, but she still had done it a little, and she thought she deserved a break.

She would not hang around university after her last exam. There was no point. She started to walk home, her very expensive flat conveniently located next to school. Her fingers reached for her phone in her pocket almost mechanically, and she opened her conversation with Chaeyoung.

Sooyoung: _Hey! My exams are over and I wanna celebrate. Wanna come over?_

She shoved her phone back in her pocket and decided to tie her hair, suddenly bothered by the way it was sticking to her neck, letting the chilly air of winter caress her skin. It was only morning and she hoped that the rays of sun would warm the atmosphere in the afternoon, although she would not be outside to witness it, preferring to plan a lazy day at home instead.

For a minute, she thought that she should tell her parents she had finished her exams, but it did not matter very much to her, so it could wait. She did not want to waste an hour on the phone with her mom, who would inevitably call her, while she could be preparing something nice for Chaeyoung to find when she would get there.

* * *

About an hour later, Sooyoung had stopped by the music store and found herself placing a guitar on a tripod in the corner of her living room, next to her piano. She could not play guitar at all and did not intend to learn how to play it.

* * *

1:00p.m.

Sooyoung had eaten the two servings of tteokbokki she had made instead of only one.

* * *

2:00p.m.

She could feel the sun heating her living room through its large windows, yet her home still felt cold and empty, and she was wondering if that was how it would feel for the next few weeks, now that she would be there all day long instead of going to university.

Somehow, she could not imagine managing life on her own, and the reality was starting to hit her. She wished Chaeyoung would be there, so that she could talk about it under the plaid she had just bought while watching a lame movie.

She did realize this was very out of character for her, but she could not deny to herself that it was what she wanted to do. Except her friend still had not replied.

* * *

4:00p.m.

Sooyoung was walking around her flat like a wolf in an enclosure, looking for things to do and not finding any. At this stage, her standing mirror was so clean it could probably even reflect itself if she made it face one of the equally clean windows.

For a second, she thought she could maybe dance to warm up before her actual dance practice, but she realized that she did not want to be sweaty, in case Chaeyoung came over. So she sat on her couch, looking at her phone, placed in front of her on her coffee table, waiting for the green light to flicker, indicating that she had received a text. She stared at it for minutes, her mind feeling numb, as empty as the black screen. And then she decided to busy herself. She grabbed some kind of spiritual novel that her father had gifted her for her birthday and her eyes wandered along the lines, not making any sense of what she was reading, her mind still focused on the ever-black screen of her phone.

* * *

6:16pm

Her phone buzzed, the green light flickered, and the screen lit up. She literally jumped from the couch, where she had ended up falling asleep out of boredom. Disappointment filled her as she saw the name on the screen. She instantly hated herself for it, knowing that she should not be disappointed that Jiwoo was texting her. But her friend could not fill the void that was currently expanding fast within her soul.

Jiwoo: _Hi Soo! How were your last exams? Do you wanna go out after your dance practice?_

Jiwoo offering to go out was a first, but Sooyoung was not in the mood to party. Which was a first too. She would usually always party to take her mind off things, but this time, even partying did not sound appealing.

A quick thought went through her brain: she would have preferred to be left alone than to receive a text that was not from the person she was expecting a text from. She did not want to talk to anyone else right now. She locked her phone without even replying to her friend.

Instead, she clenched her teeth and decided to get ready for dance practice and to get there early. Maybe dancing would help.

* * *

The locker room was still empty, but when she got to the practice room, and tiny blonde was already dancing. It could only be Chaewon. The girl always arrived way earlier than others and would practice longer.

“Hi Chaewon!”

Sooyoung only greeted her out of politeness and was glad when she was not met with an answer. Her younger friend was focused on the Oh My Girl choreography that she had mastered long ago already but kept practising anyway. The older girl admired her friend’s dedication to her art. She herself had lost her passion in the last few months. She had been distracted, had trained less, and somehow, the spark she had felt for dancing had been slowly fading.

She started stretching, taking all her time, watching how the blonde repeated the choreography she had created from scratch three times, flawlessly.

“Oh my God, Sooyoung, you scared me!”

Sooyoung was stretching her back head facing the floor, and when she looked up to see her reflection in the mirror, she realized that she did look like a weird shaped monster in the back of the room.

“I’ve been there for more than ten minutes, you know?”

Chaewon gasped.

“Have you? I’m sorry I didn’t see you, I guess I was too focused.”

“Don’t worry, I got it. Maybe you should take a break before the others come in, though.”

“No I still have to-“

“Chaewon, it’s perfect. Go get some air.”

Her friend pouted but walked out anyway. Sooyoung was glad. A part of her wanted the studio for herself for a few minutes. She had a lot of energy that she needed to get out of her body. She wanted to shake her nerves away, improvising to the rhythm of an aggressive song. And that was what she did. She sweated her worries off her chest, letting anger rush through her veins and express it even in the slightest moves of her fingertips. She gave it her all, until she noticed a tall dark-haired girl awkwardly standing next to the door.

She stopped the music, not wanting the other girl to see the messy spectacle she was giving. Drops of sweat were still dripping down her body, her tank top was sticking against her ribs, her face was red, and she could still feel that familiar warm, intoxicating feeling rush through her blood vessels. She did not want to talk to anyone when she was like that. She did not even greet Hyejoo, and started stretching again instead, desperately trying to calm herself down. She saw the younger girl stretching too and appreciated how discreet she always was.

And then the rest of the group started filling the room. Sooyoung did not acknowledge anyone’s presence, until she heard a familiar name, and all her senses started exacerbating.

“Hi Chae!”

She heard that phrase several times. But when she looked up to see if Chaeyoung had paid her a surprise visit at the dance studio, she realized the Chae they were talking to was Chaewon. Her breast started to sting, and she somehow resented the young blonde for not being the one she had been wanting to see since morning. However, she was mostly hating herself for being delusional and imagining even for a second that her friend could surprise her there.

She clenched her jaw, and decided to not talk to anyone that day, only dancing and following instructions, working her body out so that she would forget all the emotions that were building up and manifesting inside of it.

* * *

The least she could say, at the end of practice, was that she was worn out. She was tired, and at the same time, both the way here muscles were relaxed and the endorphin rush had helped her feel better. Now, she was hopeful more than she was hurting. The first thing she did when she got to her locker was checking her phone. She had gotten one message.

Jiwoo: _Soo?? If you wanna go out let me know_.

She decided to finally reply. After all it was 9:00pm, and Jiwoo deserved an answer.

Sooyoung: _sorry Jiwoo, I’m not in the mood today._

The reply came in less than ten seconds. The redhead must have been looking at the conversation right when Sooyoung texted.

Jiwoo: _Are you okay?_ _☹_

Sooyoung did not want to lie, and she did not want to make her friend sad either, so, what she did next was: exiting the conversation.

Instead, she wanted to find out something. Maybe something had happened to Chaeyoung. It could be the reason she had not replied, and when she had realized that in the middle of practice, Sooyoung had felt selfish for not having thought about that possibility before. She opened her conversation with the blonde and started typing.

Sooyoung: _Are you okay? You haven’t replied and I’m kinda worried._

She did not want to sound needy, but her guts were telling her that her friend was somewhere out there, perfectly fine. She felt, deep within her bones, that her friend did not want to talk to her. She did not understand why she was feeling like that, but she was.

She took all her times to shower at the studio and get changed before checking her phone again. She had had no news from Chaeyoung, but Jiwoo was quite persistent.

Jiwoo: _??_

She still did not reply, and left, hoping to get a message when she would get back home.

* * *

Sooyoung turned the lights off, admitting her defeat to herself, and lied in her bed, staring at the emptiness of the dark surrounding her. Chaeyoung had been online on her social media, commenting on her friends’ pictures. It could only mean one thing: she had ghosted her. That was what had happened. She had never cared about her in the first place. If she had, she would not have done that, right? Maybe Sooyoung was just a tool for her to have fu with whenever she wanted to, and to throw away when she did not need her anymore. Just like she was a trophy child for her parents, after all. They knew her exams were over, but she had not heard from them at all, all day. Maybe she should have texted them herself, but in that moment, Sooyoung felt like everyone had abandoned her. Tears started accumulating behind her eyelids, and if she did not let them out, they would drown her eyes, and she was not sure she could see anything around her ever again. Not that she wanted to, anyway.

She realized that her whole life had progressively been centered around Chaeyoung, a lot more than she had thought, and that all of it had been a waste of time, because she did not care. All the effort she had put into getting a business degree to please her parents had gone to waste too. Now, she had nothing and no one to look forward to. She only had her pitiful self.

She could not hold the tears back anymore, and they started falling in a cascade along her cheeks, some of them getting in her ears, others dripping down her neck, bringing a cold sensation with them. The top of her throat was starting to hurt. She did not know if she felt disappointed, frustrated, abandoned, or angry in that moment. She only knew that she was giving in and letting everything out.

Her heavy crying was interrupted by her phone buzzing on her bedside table. She looked who the caller was. Jiwoo. It was late, and it was unusual of her friend to call her at that time. Maybe something had happened to her. She snorted and picked up.

“Hey Jiwoo! Are you okay?”

“Are you crying, Sooyoung? You have a tiny voice.”

“It doesn’t matter. Are you okay?”

“Yes. I was just worried about you, and I was clearly right to be. I’m coming over.”

“No! Jiwoo, please, don’t. I don’t want you to see me like this…”

“I don’t care. I’m coming over.”

Sooyoung did not even have time to protest. Jiwoo had already hung up. It made her feel grateful that she had such a nice friend, and at the same time, all she could think of was that she did not deserve Kim Jiwoo’s presence in her life, and that some day she would realize it and leave just like the others. Tears started accumulating in her eyes again.

* * *

The bell rang. She opened the door. Her friend walked in and immediately engulfed her in a tight hug, making her cry even more.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked.

Sooyoung shook her head.

“Okay, then I’m just gonna tuck you into your bed and stay there with you, okay?”

She nodded. No words would come out of her mouth anyway, her throat was too sore to say anything. She hugged Jiwoo back to show her that she was grateful, and then led her to her bedroom, where she had already slept several times. They both got into her bed, Sooyoung lying on her side, sobbing silently while Jiwoo was rubbing her shoulder.

The taller girl felt extremely vulnerable. It was not a side of her that she let anyone see. The fact that Jiwoo was beside her, comforting her now, made her feel even more vulnerable, because she was exposing herself to someone who could possibly walk out of her life, some day.

“I love you Jiwoo. Please don’t ever leave me.”

Jiwoo stopped her relentless motion and back hugged Sooyoung instead, like a big spoon. She rested her chin in her neck, breathing softly against it. In that moment, feeling enveloped, warm and exhausted, the older girl finally surrendered and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst often comes from the most unexpected places, right?  
> I think I told you some of it was coming, but you probably didn't think it would be with this character. So, I'm sorry, but Sooyoung has to suffer for now.  
> I don't think it really is that angsty, though, is it? tell me.


	58. Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for your patience! I have finally overcome writer's block (for how long? I dunno)  
> The updates will keep on being slow for a while, probably until June bc I still have a lot of school work and it makes me not want to write anything. I am NOT quitting on this fic, though, so I hope you'll keep on being patient ♥ thank you so much for the support you've kept on showing me ♥  
> Anyway, enjoy this one!

**February 8**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

Jiwoo did not sleep much that night, her worries eating away at her. She had never seen her friend break down, not even getting close to it. She had always thought it was fishy that Sooyoung was always composed and always wanted to have fun, but she would have never thought she would get to witness her friend’s fall after her highs. When she thought about it, Sooyoung was a secretive person. She never talked about her emotions. She was not the kind to do a candid exposé of what was happening inside her head but rather to tell things matter-of-factly, emotionless.

At some point, Jiwoo stopped thinking and started sleeping, still holding her friend tight. She could not help but feel comforted by the embrace too. Maybe it was a win-win situation.

When she woke up in the morning, she realized neither she nor Sooyoung had moved an inch. Sooyoung’s shoulder were still moving slowly, following the rhythm of her tranquil sleep. The only thing that had changed was the grip she held on Jiwoo’s right hand. It had faltered a bit in comparison to how tight she had held it before she fell asleep. Then, the redhead had thought for a second that she would have lost her hand because of her circulatory system being cut by the pressure of her friend’s fingers against hers. Now they were only loosely intertwined.

Jiwoo could not grab her phone to look at the time it was because she did not want to risk waking her friend up. She noticed the sky outside was already blue. Daylight was coming through Sooyoung’s room window, showing how she had forgotten to shut the blinds. This was out of character. Her friend always slept in a pitch-dark room. She tried to get a look around to see if there was an alarm clock or anything that would give her the time, but obviously, there was not.

She figured that she could probably cook them breakfast anyway and decided to move away from her friend, starting with the hand that was still around her torso. She moved very slowly, hoping she would not disturb her sleep. Her fingers were almost out of Sooyoung’s hand when she felt her grip suddenly tighten. The surprise made her freeze. Was Sooyoung awake?

She did not have time to think more about it because the girl started shifting position, only to force Jiwoo’s arm to remain steady in place and hug her tighter and closer than before. Whether her friend was awake and conscious of what she was doing or not, the redhead had to stay there. Her friend was making it very clear that she did not want her to leave.

Maybe breakfast could wait. She set her head back down on the pillow, so close to Sooyoung that she could smell the apple fragrance of her shampoo. Sooyoung’s ribcage still inflated and deflated peacefully under her arm.

She was still asleep. She was still asleep, and it did not keep her from holding tight onto Jiwoo’s limb so she would not get away. Somehow, although she could not move and was frustrated by not knowing what time it was, she felt like everything was in its right place. Oxytocin was being released in her whole body, and she was getting so relaxed that this moment was frozen in time. She took in the brightness of the day, the smell of her friend’s shampoo, the close contact between them, the skin of their arms brushing, and time did not matter anymore, as she wished this moment would be infinite.

* * *

“How long have you been awake?”

Jiwoo, now laying on her back looked up to Sooyoung who had turned towards her.

“A while.”

Sooyoung’s eyebrow furrowed.

“Why didn’t you get up?”

A smile appeared on Jiwoo’s face.

“You wouldn’t let me.”

Sooyoung gasped a little and bit her lip, as if she realized what she had done while sleeping.

“Right.” she moved away from Jiwoo. “I’m gonna make us breakfast, what do you want?”

Jiwoo watched her friend get up swiftly and get to the bedroom door, on which she leaned, watching her, still laying on the bed. This was the kind of scenario that often happened, but Jiwoo could not help but feel like it was different.

“Jiwoo? Pancakes?”

Jiwoo shook her head, realizing she had been asked a question. She sat up, smiled from ear to ear and nodded vigorously. Sooyoung left, and Jiwoo plopped back onto the mattress sluggishly. Something felt disconnected, unnatural. She looked around the room where a few minutes before, she was still holding her friend’s body against hers, that was now empty, reminding her why she had to come there in the first place.

Sooyoung called her out from the kitchen. She looked as normal as ever. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked tired, but she acted as if nothing had happened. Jiwoo pulled a chair and sat down at the table, watching her friend spill caramel sauce on a pancake. Soon, a plate was in front of the redhead, and Sooyoung sat down across from her with her own.

Jiwoo grabbed a spoon and cut through the pancake.

“Are we going to talk about what happened last night?”

Her friend’s whole body froze, and she was stone-faced, as she carefully avoided Jiwoo’s gaze.

“No.”

“Sooyoung I think you nee-“

“I said, no. We’re not gonna talk about it.”

Jiwoo pouted. She could not force her friend to talk, but she was worried. What could have possibly happened for Sooyoung to break down this hard? She hated that her friend had felt this bad and was still choosing to bear the weight of it on her own while she was right there, offering to help her. Jiwoo could be her friend’s confidant, she could be her shoulder to cry on. She wanted to be there for her, but she did not know how to do that, and it kind of hurt her that Sooyoung would not let her be there, especially now that she had already seen her at her worst.

Both of them remained silent until they finished breakfast, or more precisely until Jiwoo noticed something on the couch.

“You bought a new plaid?”

Sooyoung’s face twisted for a fragment of a second, but Jiwoo managed to catch it before the unwanted emotion disappeared. She chose to ignore it.

“Yeah. Do you wanna stay for a movie marathon?”

“Sure.”

Jiwoo would do anything to distract her friend and see her smile. She would make sure to choose the lamest comedies that Sooyoung would pretend to hate but that would still make her laugh. And she would enjoy being there, snuggled with her on the couch, and listening to her snarky comments. This day would be okay. They would be okay. Sooyoung would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, how are we feeling so far?  
> if you have any questions, theories that you don't wanna leave in the comment, feel free to leave them on my [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/lipsomniac)!  
> (I am a sucker for feedback, I fuel from it so please tell me what you think!)


	59. Minecraft Girlfriend

**February 9**

*** CHAEWON’S POV ***

Weekends had rarely been so quiet for Chaewon. Apart from her stepmother yelling at the cat when he jumped on the kitchen counters, the house was in a state of peaceful quietness. She sometimes heard Hyunjin giggling and, when she thought about it, it was a nice change from the complete silence she used to hear in her stepsister’s room. It was always quiet before the storm, but now the storm was not coming anymore. Chaewon could say she felt safer, happier inside the house.

The mutual avoidance tacit agreement she and Hyunjin had was still very real, but for entirely different reasons. If before, the dark-haired girl avoided the blonde because she hated her, and the latter was avoiding the former because she was a bit scared, they now avoided each other because they needed space after spending their entire days together at school.

They got on well, but Chaewon was still glad school was almost over and that she was going on her Japan trip with Heejin. The two of them barely got alone time anymore, which did not seem to bother Heejin as much as it bothered Chaewon. But, as long as her life quality had improved, and that both her bestfriend and her stepsister were happy, she would get over her need for bffs quality time.

She looked at her phone. The dance studio group chat was buzzing. Everyone was excited to shoot their Guerrilla cover next Friday. A smile crept on Chaewon’s face. She was proud of what they had achieved with this choreography, and she was especially surprised that she was able to choreograph something. The whole experience had confirmed that it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

She had signed up for a business degree in university, but it was only because of her dad’s expectations. She could not care less about economics and finances. She wanted to become a dancer. But since none of the dance academies she had secretly applied for had contacted her, she understood that her dream was not happening, and that she would have to settle for her dad’s.

She sighed. Everything around her felt uncertain. Things changed fast, and she felt like she was too slow to adapt. Her phone buzzed once again. She glanced at it.

Heejin: _did Hyunjin just laugh?_

And now she had to turn into a carrier pigeon. Chaewon rolled her eyes. She was not spying on her stepsister’s every move and she had not paid attention.

Chaewon: _idk. I wasn’t listening_

Heejin had always talked about her secret crush a lot, but she used to be able to talk about something else. Now that they were literally a couple, and that Chaewon had a front row seat, it was all she blabbered about.

The two of them were not exactly becoming less close, but the shift in their relationship was still a hard one for the blonde, who had gotten used to hanging out with Heejin only for many years.

Chaewon put her phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode and set it aside on her desk. She looked at her laptop screen where dumb messages succeeded to more dumb messages. She had always found reddit to be a distracting place and had been on it for more than an hour, but she was getting tired of it. She launched Minecraft instead.

She had been building her Oh My Girl museum for a while now, but it was far from being done, and there were always new ways to perfect it. Chaewon was patient. Rushing would not help and getting a botched result was not something she would be proud of. So she built slowly, paying attention to every detail, without thinking about anything else.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The noise took her out of her trance-like state.

“Yeah?”

The door opened on Hyunjin’s face. Her stepsister smiled at her – a sight she was still not accustomed to – and took a step in.

“Do you want to play Just Dance?”

Chaewon looked at her screen. The works on her building had improved enough for that day. She looked back at Hyunjin.

“Yeah sure, I’ll be there in a minute!”

“Alright, get ready to lose then!”

Hyunjin winked and stepped back, closing the door. Chaewon, losing at Just Dance? This would be a first. She was a dancer, after all. And from what she knew, Hyunjin had never even tried dancing. She could feel her sense of competition awakening in her body.

She saved her game and exited. A notification caught her attention in the right-hand bottom corner of her laptop. She had just received an email from YG X academy. Adrenalin rushed through her veins as she stared at the notification, paralyzed. What if they were telling her there was no spot left? What if they told her there was a missing piece to the application file she had very carefully put together? What if they actually gave her an audition date? She gasped. This was not a possibility, was it?

“Chaewon are you coming?”

Hyunjin’s voice was a bit faint from downstairs.

“Yeah just warm up or something!”

She needed to open that email fast so she could get to the living room before her stepsister became too suspiscious. She took a deep breath and clicked on the notification.

_"Dear Ms. Park,_

_We are honoured to inform you that we have received your application and would like to invite you to perform an audition in our studio on the 4 th of March at 11:00am._

_You will need to perform a cover of an existing choreography, a piece of choreography that you’ve created and a freestyle. The length of the two first pieces should not exceed a minute, and the freestyle part will be chosen by the jury members._

_Please come well prepared._

_Sincerely yours,_

_YG X academy team."_

She had an audition date. This might not be an acceptance letter, but it felt like it. She was getting the chance to perform in front of a jury of professionals and maybe get into one of the most popular dance academies in the whole country. It did not feel real.

“Chaewon!!”

Hyunjin’s voice brought her back to reality. She put her poker face on, thinking she would have time later to prepare everything for her audition. Right now, she needed to pretend it was not happening. She could not raise anyone’s suspicion. She turned off her laptop and jumped down the staircase. As much as she wanted to hide her emotions, she could not keep a smile off her face.

“Woow, why are you so happy? Did your Minecraft girlfriend propose or something?”

Chaewon shook her head.

“I’ve told you before, I don’t have a Minecraft girlfriend. Now, I hope you warmed up well because otherwise you don’t stand a chance.”

Hyunjin snickered.

After a few songs, Chaewon realized she had underestimated her stepsister. She was, in fact, good at dancing and had a natural sense of rhythm. The competition was hard, and, in the end, the black-haired girl got more points.

“See, you can’t Chaewin all the time.”

Chaewon snorted at the pun.

“Don’t get cocky, I let you win because I was distracted, but next time I won’t.”

“Of course, you were distracted by your Minecraft girlfriend.”

Chaewon rolled her eyes. She realized it was better that Hyunjin thought she had a virtual girlfriend rather than having her know what she was actually up to. And anyway, she was starting to like the bickering.


	60. 3rd Wheel Who?

**February 10**

*** HYEJOO’S POV ***

“Jiwoo is acting weird?”

Hyejoo still could not believe how kind Yerim always was, caring for people she barely knew and getting genuinely invested in their lives. The thing was: the raven-haired girl also tended to forget that Jiwoo had attended this school and that her friends knew her.

“Yeah. She sneaked out in the middle of the night on Friday and came back late Saturday night. She has been quiet since. She’s not usually a quiet person.”

Jiwoo had been acting weird ever since her exams was over. She had gone out on the very night they ended and had interrupted Hyejoo’s game on her way out to make her promise not to tell Sera. Hyejoo had had to pretend that the older girl had gone to see a friend in the morning, not in the middle of the night. She did not know if Sera had believed her, but she had at least pretended to.

When Jiwoo had finally come back, she looked worried, and that look of worry had not left her since. The younger girl had tried to get her to talk several times, but she was not one to insist, shrugging it off even though she knew Jiwoo was lying when she said she was fine. The difference with her usual behaviour was too strong for things to be normal. The only time she looked all smiley and bright was during the Sunday lunch. Hyejoo concluded that her new roommate could very well wear a façade.

Yerim pouted, visibly puzzled. Hyejoo did not really care. Jiwoo was a grown-up and she could deal with her own emotions by herself, especially if she did not want to talk about them. Hyejoo had asked her if she was okay out of politeness more than out of concern. She was intrigued by what was going on, but not worried. Hyejoo was never worried by other people’s emotions. She did not even pay attention to her own, so she definitely would not let herself be burdened by others’.

Yeojin did not seem very interested in this conversation either. The only moments she reacted were when Yerim looked upset. She would brush her thumb against her girlfriend’s cheek or squeeze her hand. Hyejoo could not help but notice every little gesture, and, even though she had grown accustomed to the whole situation, she felt annoyed. There was no way to look at her friends without seeing them constantly being affectionate with each other. She did not understand how they could be glued together so much.

“Hi! Hum… Can I sit with you guys?”

Hyejoo did not need to raise her head to know who was talking. She had heard the tiny voice many times before at the dance studio. She had heard the voice, but still had not talked to the person it belonged to.

“Oh my God Chae! Hi! Yes, of course you can! Hyejoo will make room next to her, isn’t that right, Hyejoo?”

Yerim was squealing and Hyejoo looked at the chair next to hers, where she had placed her schoolbag. She put it on the floor instead, realizing that the blonde would need to sit on the chair. When the Chaewon looked down towards her, Hyejoo averted her gaze. Yes, she was used to hearing her voice, and even to watch her dance, but she was still too intimidated by her to talk to her.

Yet, she noticed there was a kind of delicacy in the way Chaewon sat down. Her body language made her seem like she was apologizing for being there. She avoided meeting Hyejoo’s gaze as much as Hyejoo was avoiding hers. Hyejoo felt as uncomfortable as the other girl looked.

“So, what do we owe the pleasure of your presence to?”

Hyejoo was thankful to Yeojin for getting the conversation going, because she felt awkward, and she could tell that the blonde who had just arrived too.

“See these two over there?” Chaewon pointed her thumb behind her over her shoulder. “I kinda need a break from them.”

Hyejoo turned around and saw Heejin and Hyunjin being equally as annoying as Yeojin and Yerim could be. She snickered.

“And you’re coming here like it’s gonna be better with these two.”

She could not keep the snarky remark to herself. She understood in less than a second that it was not a very welcoming thing to say and was about to apologize, but Chaewon laughed, her giggle as tiny as her voice. Hyejoo realized had never heard her laugh. She was always serious at dance practice.

“Hey! We’re not THAT cheesy” Yerim defended herself.

Chaewon smiled and shrugged. Her smile was shy, but Hyejoo could see she was already comfortable with Yeojin and Yerim. Of course, she was. She had known them longer.

“You _are_ cheesy. You have always been. But these two over here barely got together and are already practically married. Plus, I don’t live with any of you, and that’s an advantage you have over them.”

Both Yeojin and Yerim furrowed her eyebrows and, they did not notice it, but their heads tilted to the side following the exact same angle. If Hyejoo was not so used to them being basically soulmates, she might find it cute, but it had turned boring.

“What do you mean, we don’t live with us? How does that relate?” Yeojin asked.

Chaewon picked up ramen in her bowl and held it over it while she talked.

“I am with Hyunjin 24/7. It’s nice to be a little apart, sometimes.”

“Wait, why are you with Hyunjin 24/7? I don’t understand.” Yerim asked.

“Oh… I never told you, did I? You know my father remarried, right?”

Yerim and Yeojin both nodded while Hyejoo listened in on the conversation attentively, without talking. She was storing up knowledge about the blonde, like all the information was important to memorize in case she would need it in a later conversation.

“Well, he married Hyunjin’s mother. She’s my stepsister.”

The two other girls simultaneously gasped. Hyejoo’s mind was crossed with the thought that maybe they should sign up for drama class someday. They were so expressive that it would be no trouble for them. Chaewon carefully brought the chopsticks she had been holding all this time to her mouth and ate it with a grace Hyejoo had rarely seen people eat with. The blonde was eating like a princess.

“Oh. My. God. So you live with Hyunjin, right? And she and Heejin are dating? So, does that mean your stepsister goes out with your bestfriend?!”

Everyone had drawn their conclusions inside their head, but obviously, Yeojin had to be the one who voiced them.

“Yeah, exactly.”

Yerim suddenly jumped in her chair, startling everyone except Hyejoo who did not even pay attention to her friends’ antics anymore.

“That’s so funny! Hyejoo lives with Hyunjin’s bestfriend!”

Or, maybe she should pay attention after all. Chaewon turned towards her.

“You live with Jiwoo?”

Hyejoo nodded, unable to confirm out loud.

“Oh okay. She’s nice!”

Chaewon turned towards her tray again, immediately focusing on the food rather than on Hyejoo and the latter was relieved. She was still overly conscious of the fact that her crew member was sitting next to her in high school. Although she had always been somewhere in the cafeteria, she had never been right next to her, eating at the same table and talking to her, and it was like her worlds collided together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi kids! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, tell me, leave comments, interact, stuff like that!  
> I'm not gonna lie, this writing project is huge, and I can't do it without your support. I'm thinking about shortening it because I'm under the impression that there's only one or two people left reading and I just can't waste such a huge amount of time on something barely anyone likes. So tell me if you're still reading, what you like, and what you don't like, if things are off, give me feedback... It really does help, especially when I doubt. And even though I don't always reply to comments, I read them all, and there's nothing that makes me happier than seeing that you like the story. I think I can speak for every writer when I say that the interactions with the readers are one of the best things about writing. Go give writers you like some love, it will inevitably make them a lot happier than you think.  
> Thank you to those who show me neverending support, it really means A LOT to me ♥ 60 chapters means two months of writing, and I have never been able to write that much for a story before. If we've gotten there, it's all thanks to you guys ♥


	61. Change of Plans

**February 11**

*** HEEJIN’S POV ***

Heejin was sitting on her bed, waiting for Chaewon to be back from the bathroom. She still did not know why Chaewon had asked her to hang out specifically without Hyunjin, and at Heejin’s house. The two had been getting along well lately, and she did not understand why her bestfriend would need to hang out separately.

“So,”

The door opened on the tiny blonde, who sat cross-legged across from her on the bed. Heejin could not help but imagine different shades of colors on her hair any time she would see it undulating on her friend’s shoulder. Lately, she had thought that pink hair would suit her bestfriend much.

“I have something to tell you. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Heejin raised an eyebrow. She did not think she could ever have a reason to be mad at Chaewon, but the seriousness on her friend’s face shot distress signals throughout her body. Something was definitely wrong.

When Chaewon opened her mouth to speak again, she looked hesitant. She opened it several times, but nothing came out. Maybe she needed a little encouragement.

“It’s okay Chae, whatever it is I’m not gonna be mad at you. Unless you’re secretly dating Hyunjin but that would be weird so-“

“Hell no! I’d never date Hyunjin. And yes that would be weird, she’s my sister. Kind of.”

Heejin’s eyes widened. Never had she heard Chaewon talk about her girlfriend in such an endearing way. Hyunjin used to be the awful stepsister, and now she was being called a sister? This sounded like honey in her ears. All Heejin wanted was for the two of them to get closer.

“Your sister, huh? Anyway, if you’re not dating her, there’s no reason for me to be mad, so go on.”

Heejin knew her words would not be enough to convince her friend to speak, so she gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Chaewon had always had a hard time opening up, and Heejin knew it was enough of an honor that she was always on the receiving end of these confessions. Her bestfriend did not trust just anyone with her feelings. They were precious treasures.

The blonde took a deep breath.

“Okay… I can’t come to Japan with you.”

Heejin was not mad, but she would be lying if she said she did not feel the tiniest bit of disappointment. Her throat constricted.

“Why?”

Her voice was dryer than she meant it to be. She did not want to make Chaewon feel guilty. She did not want to be mad. But she could not help but feel let down.

“I have an audition on March 4th.”

Heejin squinted, as if it was going to help her clear the picture that did not want to form itself inside her head. The situation was unexpected, and she did not understand what was going on.

“An audition? What for?”

Chaewon’s fluttered on the wall, from poster to poster, but she did not look at Heejin once. Heejin could understand her friend being scared of disappointing her, but there was no reason to avoid her either. She had promised she would not get mad.

“A dance audition. For YG X academy.”

Heejin jumped on the other side of the bed and squeezed her friend’s whole body tight. Disappointment was replaced by excitement.

“Chae that’s fantastic! Why didn’t you tell me this before? You’re gonna become a dancer! That’s so cool! I’m so happy for you!”

Chaewon clenched her teeth and Heejin felt a hand cover her mouth, muting the sounds it made.

“SHHH not so loud!”

Heejin shook her head to free her mouth. She was about to protest when she was interrupted by a tense Chaewon who whispered on an imperious tone.

“You can’t tell anyone. And _especially_ not Hyunjin. No one in my family can know until I get an actual acceptance letter. They all think I’m going to university.”

“It’s never been part of your plans, has it?”

Chaewon shook her head. Heejin knew her friend had never found any interest in school. She had been surprised that the blonde had been able to pretend for so long that she was going to university. She was even more surprised that she, herself, had believed at all that Chaewon had meant it.

“I won’t say a thing, but I want to be the first person to know when you get an answer from them, okay?”

The blonde nodded, and Heejin trapped her in a hug.

“I’m so proud of you Chae. I’m gonna miss you at university, though... And in Japan.”

Heejin realized what Chaewon not coming to Japan implied: she would not be there to go to the Hello Kitty exhibit, or to the Ghibli Museum. She would not be there to climb the mountains. She would not see the sights. She would not be there for the pillow fights at night. Everything would be different without Chaewon.

“I’m happy for you, but I wish you’d come with me.”

Chaewon looked up from the pillow she was now staring at, locking eyes with Heejin.

“I think you can turn this into an opportunity, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

Chaewon wore the cheeky smile she usually reserved for her misfits, confusing Heejin even more.

“I’m pretty sure _someone_ would _love_ to keep you company in Japan.”

She punctuated her declaration with a wink. Heejin gasped, realizing what her friend was hinting at. Maybe she was in luck, indeed.

“Do you think she’d like to come with me?”

“Do I think? No, I don’t _think_.”

Heejin’s enthusiasm faded for a split second, until Chaewon finished her sentence.

“I’m _sure_. She’ll love going there with you. She’s more romantic than she lets on.”

Heejin’s joy was genuine. She could tell Hyunjin was a softie, despite the fact she always wanted to look tough. She would bet that Hyunjin would love the Hello Kitty Exhibit just as much as Chaewon. There were so many more things that they could do that she would have done with Chae. Her girlfriend would make the whole trip an adventure, for sure.

Just imagining Hyunjin on that trip with her felt like dozens of cherry blossom petals free falling in her stomach. Light and pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i'm back. i'm sorry you had to wait so long for an upate... life's gotten crazier in the past 2 months than it was before, but i think i've got it under control and i'm ready to get back to writing.  
> as i said before - although i've had a hard time restricting myself - chapters will be shorter now.  
> i've gotten so late on this fic... it feels like a gigantic, impossible task to write it until the end. so the chapters **need** to be shorter.  
> if you're still reading this story despite the waiting, thank you from the bottom of my heart. i'm so glad you're still here ♥
> 
> here's my [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac) if you wanna say anything.
> 
> see you tomorrow (and i mean it, we're back in business!)


	62. Away With You

**February 12**

*** HYUNJIN’S POV ***

The permanent flutter in Hyunjin’s guts only went away when she was fast asleep. But said sleep was hard to find when she felt so energized by everything around her.

It was like the world was moving fast. Her greyish silence had been replaced by pastel tints and bird chirpings. The winter outside was immune to the spring she felt inside.

Never in a million years would she have thought that Jeon Heejin would like her back. Would she even have known if they had not skipped class together, almost two weeks ago? What if she never had the impulse to grab Heejin’s hand and drag her out of school?

She had acted on a whim, and it had changed everything.

Now, she did not need a reason to hold Heejin’s hand in hers. She did not have to look away when she stared at her. Her secret was out, and she was more than welcome to show affection. So, she did. After having kept herself from getting close to people for so long, it felt right to share her space with Heejin, and to dedicate all her headspace to her.

Jiwoo had been the most surprised. Hyunjin knew she was not expecting the call, because she had stopped phoning Jiwoo a long time ago. But that night, when she had come home from school floating on a cotton candy cloud, she had wanted to share her joy with her bestfriend. She told her the whole story, maybe exaggerating how heroic their escape was, and Jiwoo had listened, and been her enthusiastic, cheerful, supportive self.

Yet, Hyunjin could feel something was wrong with Jiwoo. She sounded a bit absent, and it was not like her. So she had asked what was wrong, and Jiwoo had said that she was tired because of school. It sounded fishy, but Hyunjin had decided not to insist, and Jiwoo had asked her to talk about Heejin more, so she had happily complied.

“What are you thinking about?”

Heejin’s voice got Hyunjin out of her rewinding of the past twelve days. Yes, she had counted them.

“I’m thinking about how happy I am right now.”

The two of them were sitting on a bench in the park, watching ducklings swim behind their mother. Heejin’s head was resting on Hyunjin’s shoulder. It fit there so well that it was easy for Hyunjin to give a quick kiss on the top of her head to punctuate what she was saying.

“Good, I’m happy too, you know?”

Heejin’s thumb brushing over the back of her hand sent ants running under Hyunjin’s skin all over her body.

“Hyunjin, I have something to ask you.”

Heejin sat up and turned towards Hyunjin, looking at their hands still intertwined. Hyunjin felt nervous, anticipating that the question might be about something she might not want to talk about.

“I’m going to Japan after graduation. Chaewon was supposed to come with me, but she can’t.”

The younger girl frowned. Chaewon had no reason not to go to Japan. Or had she? She would have to ask her. She let Heejin continue.

“So, I was thinking… I mean, Chaewon was thinking… that maybe… you’d like to come to Japan with me?”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened. She was not expecting anything like that. Valentine’s Day was just around the corner and they had not even planned a date yet. Going on a whole trip was maybe a bit early? Not that Hyunjin would not like it, of course.

“I’m confused. Why isn’t Chaewon going? I mean, I’d love to go with you, but why me?”

Heejin raised an eyebrow.

“Why you? Because you’re my girlfriend, duh. I can’t imagine anything nicer than going to my favorite country with one of my favorite people.”

Heejin had not answered the first question, but Hyunjin would let it slide, because the rest of what she was saying brought her too much satisfaction. There was probably nothing she would enjoy more than watching her girlfriend geek over the most random stuff and go on an exploration adventure with her.

“I’m… honoured. I’d love to go with you Heejin. I’ll have to ask my mom, of course. But I think that if they were willing to let Chaewon go, it shouldn’t be too much trouble that I go instead. But what will _your_ parents think?”

Heejin’s face relaxed into a soft smile.

“I’ve already asked them. I said you were Chaewon’s stepsister and that’s how I got to know you, and that you’re super nice. Since the flight was already paid for, they didn’t mind.”

“So they don’t know I’m your girlfriend?”

“Not yet. I think it’s too early to tell them. We’ll have to pretend we’re just friends.”

Hyunjin pouted, a bit disappointed. She was already imagining herself kissing Heejin on top of Mount Fuji – even though she knew they would probably never climb up there.

“Alright. Are we sleeping in the same room?”

Heejin gasped, caught off-guard by the question.

“What?! I mean yes, but don’t get the wrong idea.”

Heejin’s embarrassment was so cute it got a chuckle out of Hyunjin.

“I don’t know what you’re hinting at, Heejin, but I was only thinking that we were gonna have our first sleepovers ever in Japan and that I can’t wait to throw my pillow in your face, that’s all.”

A tint of red shaded Heejin’s cheeks, as well as a glow of relief appeared in her eyes.

“Who told you we would have pillows?”

Heejin wanted to look defiant, but to Hyunjin, she only looked cute. The latter wore her best cheeky smile.

“You know, I’ll always find something to fight you with.”

“Oh, really?”

Heejin was getting a little too brave in her provocations, and Hyunjin decided that it was the right moment to close the space between them and tickle her girlfriend all over. Her laughter was immediate, and soon, they were both giggling uncontrollably, scaring the ducks who swam away. Hyunjin knew it was only the beginning of the fun they would have together, and she still enjoyed every second of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... perhaps you follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac) or have read the questions on my [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac), and in this case you already know the news. but maybe you don't, so... as a thank you for the 300 kudos, the 2jin trip to Japan will be a spin-off (you can also read the [Yeorry prequel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22216930), if you haven't yet). it will be multiple chapters posted day-by-day at the same time as the main story goes. i hope you'll enjoy it ♥


	63. Trouble in Paradise

**February 13**

*** HASEUL’S POV ***

Ever since their last hike, Kahei had been acting weird, and Haseul was worried that her friend might be mad at her for keeping her relationship a secret… despite the fact it was a secret even for herself.

The idea of being in a relationship with Hansol still had not kicked in. She saw him more often than before. Almost every day, in fact. They held hands, cuddled, and kissed. Technically, they were dating, there was no doubt. But her brain still had difficulty adjusting to the idea of “dating”. The word itself was having a hard time correlating with the situation. Something just was not clicking yet.

But she felt happy. He felt comfortable. He was a nice guy, that was undeniable. He was always gallant, and gentle, and Haseul felt precious, when he looked at her. In his eyes, it seemed that she was the diamond a jeweller would keep safe under bulletproof glass. Even his gentle touch made her feel like a work of art.

It was all a nice feeling, topping up the success of her last exams. Life was beaming at her, telling her she was walking the right path. The only shadow that kept her sun from shining fully was Kahei.

She could tell her friend was being distant, although she did not understand why. Often, late at night, Haseul would wonder what she had done wrong. If she had done something wrong. But despite scrutinizing the situation through every angle, she did not find the answers to her questions. She could never bring herself to ask the redhead directly, because she was scared it would make her own bubble of joy explode. Everything was going well, and she did not want it tarnished by an argument.

But she did miss her bestfriend. Which was why she had insisted on hanging out at her dorm, alone, that afternoon. She wanted to see if Kahei would open up if Hansol was not there. Maybe his presence was making her shy, and she and Haseul had barely gotten a moment alone ever since the pair had started dating.

“I think I’m done! Can you read it and tell me what you think?”

Haseul had been working on her cover letter to get in the master’s she wanted for more than an hour, trying to perfect every sentence. Since she wanted to stay at the same university, it should not be too much trouble getting it, because the teacher knew her. But she still wanted to put in effort, to show how much she cared about her studies.

Kahei, sitting crossed-legged on her bed, stopped polishing her nails and extended her arms so Haseul would pass her her laptotp. She read the letter, as expressionless as she had been for the past hour.

“This is a good letter, you’ll get in.”

Her friend gave her the laptop back, and immediately got back to polishing her nails. Haseul felt a ping in her chest. Her friend did not seem interested. At all. Something was definitely wrong. She had to work her away around a confrontation.

“Thank you. Are you not doing yours?”

Kahei shook her head, still looking at her nails, focusing on the task at hand.

“Not yet.”

Haseul raised an eyebrow. The deadline was close, and she was worried about her friend procrastinating until it would be too late.

“Why? Applications will be over in two weeks.”

Kahei looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily.

“I don’t know if I’m staying here or going back to Hong Kong.”

Haseul’s blood dropped to her feet and she felt dizzy. Less than a month ago, they were making plans for their future. They were even thinking about being roommates, or to turn Haseul’s parents’ garage into a room that would be homelier than the dorm.

“What? Why? I thought you were staying.”

The pain in Haseul’s lip made her realize she had been biting it too hard.

“I don’t know. It’s just… I miss home.”

Her friend was looking down at her bed cover, not meeting Haseul’s eyes. She did look sad. Had she felt nostalgic for long? How had Haseul not realized before?

“I’m sorry, Kahei. I know it must be hard. But you are at home here. You have me. How will I do if you go back to Hong Kong?”

She did not want to guilt trip her friend. But she was genuinely worried. She knew that “I miss home” was not enough of a reason for Kahei to go back. They had talked about it so many times. Kahei preferred being here. What had changed?

Her friend opened her mouth, ready to say something, but someone knocked on the door.

“Come in!”

The door opened on a beaming, familiar face. Kim Yoohyeon’s silver hair and bangs were recognizable between a thousand. Her bright energy, however, was not quite fitting the current mood.

“Oh, I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?”

At least she could read the room.

Kahei smiled for the first time that day, and Haseul did not miss it.

“No, it’s okay! Did you need anything?”

The tall girl took a step in.

“Dongie and I were wondering if you wanted to come roller-skating with us?”

Kahei squinted, scrutinizing the girl standing in front of her, wearing a playful smile that made her cheeks look squishy.

“Roller-skating with you? That sounds dangerous.”

“Hey, I’m not _that_ clumsy.”

“Let me doubt that.”

Haseul silently watched the two girl’s playful banter, trying to ignore the knot tying itself in her stomach. She and Kahei had not shared that much complicity for… a while. Too long.

“You can come with us too, Haseul. If you want!”

Haseul did not know if she wanted to. She was trying to have a serious conversation with her bestfriend. But when she saw how happy she looked, she knew better than ruining it by interrogating her about her possible departure. And roller-skating did sound like something fun to do. She wore her best smile to hide her worry.

“Sounds like fun, I’m in.”

The three of them left and joined Handong, who was waiting for them outside the building.

Haseul did have fun, that day. Kahei seemed to be happier, and it was all that would matter for that day. Their conversation could wait a few more days, after all. They would have the whole weekend to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you know what chapter comes tomorrow? have you paid attention to the date? 👀  
> that's right, you might get a bonus for a special occasion!
> 
> see you tomorrow!


	64. Valentine Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,  
> I am so sorry this update took a lot longer to write than I had expected. My laptop updated and I lost ALL of my data, including all I had previously written, which discouraged me. And then I found a way to recover everything but life sucked.  
> Anyway, enough excuses, thank you for waiting patiently!  
> Here's the update, have fun!

**February 14**

*** YEOJIN’S POV ***

Up until that day, Yeojin was still wondering why graduation had to happen on Valentine’s Day. Maybe from the moment you got into university, you stopped caring about being a hopeless romantic? She sure hoped it would not be her case.

Anyway, she and Yerim had collectively decided that they would go to university to support Haseul. Neither of them would admit that they mostly wanted to see university from up close. After all, Yerim would be there in a year. Yeojin… still did not know. Her confusion was still giving her a hard time, but she would not let it ruin her plans for this evening.

“Are you ready?”

Chungha was calling the two girls from downstairs. They exchanged a look. Yerim looked stunning in her ball gown. And Yeojin did not look too shabby either in the long flowery dress she had borrowed from her mother’s summer closet – yes, she knew they were in the middle of winter. The two girls exchanged a quick kiss, and headed downstairs.

Yeojin saw her mother do a double take when she saw them.

“Are you sure that’s how you wanna dress for a university graduation? You might be a bit overdressed.”

She herself was wearing a very casual attire. Yeojin rolled her eyes.

“Maybe if they hadn’t chosen to maintain the graduation ceremony on Valentine’s Day, we would have dressed differently.”

Chungha smiled, remembering the two girls would go on a date after the ceremony, and then would have a sleepover.

“Right, I had forgotten. Well, let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”

The three of them hurried into the car. As usual, Yerim chose the playlist.

* * *

The university was… big. And that seemed like an understatement. It was swarming with what felt like millions of students walking in many different directions.

There were long corridors leading to so many amphitheaters Yeojin had given up on counting them after the fifth one. Each of them was tagged with the name of a curriculum. Obviously, the one Yeojin, Yerim and Chungha were looking for was on the far end of the building, and they had to endure all the nasty looks the girls got because of their dresses. But was it worth it? A hundred percent.

When they finally reached the place, everyone was sitting and quiet chatter filled the room. They found seats a bit far from the stage, but they were confident they could cheer for Haseul loud from behind too.

“Can you see her, mom?”

“No, there are too many people, she’s too far.”

Yeojin snickered.

“I would have thought you’d recognize her bobbed hair.”

Chungha looked down at her daughter, perplexed by her remark.

“Do you know how many women wear bobs these days?”

Yeojin shrugged. It did not matter much to her. She intended to take a nap on Yerim’s shoulder until Haseul was called to get on the stage to get her diploma, anyway.

* * *

It turned out that Yeojin never slept.

Soon after they arrived, the doors closed and a bald old man walked onto the stage with a cardboard full of tubes. He stood at the microphone and called each student one by one. There were not that many who studied music, but just enough so the waiting time seemed very – too – long to Yeojin. She thought she might just tickle Yerim here and there to make it pass faster, but Chungha had given her a dirty look and she had stayed still until the moment finally came.

“Jo Haseul!”

A short girl stood up and walked to the stage to get her diploma. As she received it, Yeojin, Yerim and Chungha stood up and cheered as loud as they could to compensate for the fact that Haseul could not see their smiling faces from this far.

But Yeojin noticed that a few other people were cheering for Haseul louder than the rest. Her parents, who waved at the three of them when they noticed them in the crowd – a short redhead sitting amongst students – obviously Kahei – and a tall young man not far from them in the crowd.

She pulled on Yerim’s sleeve.

“Do you know this dude?”

Yerim shook her head.

“Mom, do you know this dude?”

Chungha squinted and shook her head, still clapping and cheering as Haseul got off the stage.

They all sat and Yeojin could not help but stare at the man, who was so tall that the heads of the people sitting in front of them could not hide his. It was weird. Yeojin was positive she had never seen him around Haseul. A warm blow materialized into her ear canal.

“Did Haseul get a boyfriend?”

Yerim’s whisper made sense. But it went against all of Yeojin’s beliefs. She was convinced that Haseul was dating Kahei. She had not said anything about it because it was none of her business, but still, the belief had stuck with her. Something about Haseul possibly dating that guy did not feel right. Yeojin was positive, Haseul was gay.

“Maybe… It’s weird.”

Yerim pouted.

“Hey, it’s not weird! Haseul is very likeable!”

Yeojin rolled her eyes. Of course, she was. But it was still weird to imagine her cousin dating that man. She was barely tall enough to reach his knees, or something. Not that Yeojin was any taller, but she was dating Yerim, so the height difference would be less noticeable.

* * *

When the _long_ ceremony came to an end, Yeojin and Yerim ran to the front of the stage to join Haseul before she even had time to look for them. Surprisingly – or not so surprisingly – the weird guy went in the same direction. Yeojin had been observing him because she had nothing better to do until it was Kahei’s turn to get her degree. He did not get up. Only Yeojin, Yerim, Chungha, Haseul’s parents, and a few students did.

Who could cheer for Haseul and not Kahei? These two went hand-in-hand.

As some kind of petty revenge, Yeojin walked faster so she and Yerim would get to Haseul before him. Before anyone else for that matter. Chungha and Haseul’s parents had met halfway and were lagging behind.

“Haseul!” she screamed. “Congratulations!”

She engulfed her cousin in a tight – forced – hug and let go when she heard her cousin’s light laugh.

“Thank you, Yeojin!”

Yerim’s hug was a lot softer than hers. That was how it had always been. Yeojin was the energy, and Yerim was the comfort.

A shadow appeared over Yeojin’s head and she turned around only to discover Mr Douchebag. No, she did not know him, but still, he had not cheered for Kahei, so he _was_ a douchebag. The dude walked up to Haseul and Yeojin noticed Kahei’s face turn upside down as the two kissed. Yeojin’s eyes locked wit her cousin’s friend’s and she protected her mouth from Haseul’s sight as she fake-gagged. The redhead laughed as her smile illuminated her face again.

From her reaction, Yeojin could tell she did not like Haseul’s boyfriend – urgh, the word sounded awful inside Yeojin’s head – at all.

“Haseul, you did not introduce your… friend to us.”

Yeojin had never understood why adults kept calling romantic partners friends. Like what? Were they in denial that their child could have romantic relationships? Or were they uncomfortable putting labels on relationships that had not been labelled yet? She did not know. And she did not want to know. She pulled on Yerim’s sleeve.

“Hey, wanna explore uni while my mom is busy?”

Yerim looked at the adults. Yeojin could tell she was pondering whether or not it was a responsible thing to do.

“I heard they had cookies that melt in their mouths at the cafeteria.”

Yerim smiled. Yeojin knew the way to her heart. What she did not know was that the cafeteria was not open that night.

She grabbed Yerim’s hand and the two of them started evading the room, looking back a few times to make sure no one had noticed their disappearance.

“I think the cafeteria is close to the entrance. We have to go back there.”

Yeojin looked around. She did not remember where they came from. She led the way off the top of her head. Worst case scenario? They would get lost. It did not seem too bad. At least the building was heated and they could not get hypothermia. Even if it took Chungha forever to find them, her scolding would not last too long. Yeojin knew her mom. They would still get to go on their date, because Chungha wanted to let her daughters make her own experiences and mistakes while she was young. And Yeojin knew getting lost at university would be a minor one.

The two girls walked down the hallways, until they came to an intersection and they had to come to a halt. Yeojin looked around. She did not know where they were. A lot of people were coming out of an amphitheater, so the best option was probably to follow them. She did not know her way, so she had to be pragmatical. If these people were going ou-

“Yeojin? Yerim?”

The two girls turned around and recognized the face that belonged to the tiny voice. And also the dark-haired one standing next to Chaewon. And the redhead next to them. But not the tall, slender girl who was with them. Yerim let go of Yeojin’s hand and ran into a hug with Jiwoo, ecstatic to see their older friend. Yeojin raised an eyebrow. The three girls standing there had barely anything in common.

“What are you guys doing here?”

No one talked, so Chaewon appointed herself their spokesperson.

“We came to congratulate Sooyoung on her graduation.”

She designated the girl they did not know, who did not seem too happy to be here. Yeojin looked at Hyejoo who held up her hands, pleading innocent.

“Jiwoo forced me to come with her.”

“Hey, I thought you came because you liked me!”

The older girl seemed hurt by Hyejoo’s comment, and the younger girl blushed.

“Yeah, I did. But I wouldn’t have known it was your graduation if Jiwoo hadn’t been talking about it all day.”

The older girl looked at Jiwoo, who was beaming so intensely that aliens could probably see how proud she was from the outer space, but it still did not seem to bring her any comfort.

“Hey Jungeun! Jinsoul!” Jiwoo shouted.

Yeojin had to turn around to see who Jiwoo was talking to. Two girls were walking their way, amongst the flow of people who had come from the same direction as Yeojin and Yerim. One of them was brown-haired, about the same height as Yerim. The other one was a tall black-haired magnificent woman. Yeojin was not sure that she had ever met a girl so pretty in her entire life – except for Yerim, of course.

Jiwoo talked to the taller girl. While the other kept looking everywhere but at the now enlarged group of people who were almost blocking the corridor.

“You graduated today, right? Congratulations!”

The black-haired girl smiled.

“Thank you, Jiwoo! I’m so sorry, but we have to go. My parents are waiting for us outside.”

She gave all of them an apologetic smile, and the other girl dragged her away, still avoiding everyone’s gaze. What a weird pair. The talkative one seemed very warm, and the other seemed out of place. Suddenly, a hand squished Yeojin’s shoulder, and Chungha’s face appeared between her and Yerim.

“I know you girls have made a reservation at the restaurant and it’s gonna be full tonight, so if I were you, I’d go now to be on time and not lose my spot.”

Chungha’s voice was soft. Yeojin was still amazed at how cool her mother was. She would warn her about what bad consequences her choices could have, but still let her make them with a smile.

The two girlfriends looked at each other. As nice as it was to bump into their friends, they did have a nice night planned out.

“We have to go. See you at school! Jiwoo, we’ll see you around. Nice to meet you Sooyoung!”

It was not really nice meeting someone who looked as if she could have been anywhere else, she would have, but still, politeness was important. If Jiwoo and Chaewon (and Hyejoo?) were friends with her, she could not be that bad.

* * *

Yeojin held the door open so Yerim could get into Creative BurgerBlock. She had been planning this date for a week, hoping to wine and dime and her girlfriend as she should. One would have thought that Yerim was the most romantic one out of the two, but do not be fooled. Yeojin had spent so much time looking into Yerim’s inner soul that she knew how to oil the cogs in her heart.

“After you, milady.”

Yerim walked in, and Yeojin saw her cheeks puff out, as if she was trying to hold in a laughter. Yeojin looked around. The whole place was decorated in pink hearts paper garlands that looked as cheap as the burgers on the menu. The waiteresses ( _a/n: yes I wanted to make up a gender-neutral word, sue me_ ) were dressed in flashy pink clothes and walking around with aureolas sitting on their heads, supported by chopsticks stuck on a headband. Their painted cardboard wings also gave them quite a… charming? appearance.

Yeojin knew she probably should not have asked Haseul for help. Her cousin had assured her that this place was the cheapest burger in town, and that they put in a lot of effort for Valentine’s Day. Effort. That was what Yeojin had been striving for, this time, but the results were not quite what she expected. At least now she knew where the place’s name came from.

A waitress appeared in front of them, almost stamping the ground in excitement.

“Welcome to Creative BurgerBlock, princesses. Are you waiting for your charming princes?”

Two girls exchanged a look, and both kept from laughing. With their ball gowns, they did look a bit straight.

“No, I made a reservation under the name Im Yeojin.”

The waitress’ smile did not falter as she looked through the reservations book.

“Alright, follow me. As you requested, we picked the best table for two.”

They followed her to the opposite corner of the restaurant, where the lighting made it seem like they were in a purple submarine – or a cheap strip club, not that Yeojin would know anything about it. They tried their best not to slip on the many fries laying on the ground on their way. The two girls sat across from each other in the tiny booth. Yeojin instantly crawled over the table, and whispered in her girlfriend’s ear.

“I heard the place is so greasy that you don’t need to go to an ice rink.”

This information had _not_ been given to her by Haseul. The older girl had presented the place as being nice and lively. Of course, she had omitted to tell her that it was so cheap no one was paid to clean the place up.

“Yeojin! “You can’t say stuff like that, you’ve never been here before.”

Yerim playfully slapped the top of her head, light chuckles coming out of her mouth. Yerim always wanted to look kindly, even at the most disgusting things. Anyone could see the place was dirty. She wiggled her eyebrows, opting to pick up on semantics instead of arguing. After all, they were here to have a good time.

“Who said being greasy was a bad thing?”

Yerim erupted into a clear, light laughter. She crawled back in her booth, as far as possible from Yeojin, looking her in the eyes.

“Well, certainly not you.”

Yeojin could hear her girlfriend’s laugh all day. If she needed to continue with her antics to hear it, she would.

“I haven’t been greasy in a while though. Do you miss it?”

Yerim pulled a face, but the waitress came back before Yeojin could determine if Yerim was being playful or really did not miss her greasy side.

“Have you made your choice?”

Yeojin looked at her place mat. They barely even had time to get seated. Could the waitress not have waited a little longer? All the lines and figures were a lot to take in in the space of two seconds, and the high schooler felt adventurous anyway.

“Not yet, I’m sorry. Do you have any recs?”

She was hoping to buy some time so Yerim could choose at her own pace while she ordered.

“Sure, our dishes of the night are Cupid’s Pick and Cupid’s Stick. The first one is our usual basic hamburger but with a surprise sauce and, and the other one is the exact same thing but, on a skewer, instead. Both come in delightful pink or purple colors.”

Yeojin had no idea what it meant but she realized they had definitely thought about the aesthetics before thinking about the food, and they had not spent too much time picking a name either. The place was getting cheaper by the minute. But it was fine with her. At least it was cheap enough so she could pay for the two of them.

“I’ll take that one, please.”

The waitress frowned, perplexed.

“Which one?”

“Oh right, Cupid’s Pick. With extra fries, please.”

She was only curious about what it looked like. If she got food poisoning, then so be it. The waitress nodded, and looked at Yerim, who was still looking at the menu.

“I’ll take a veggie burger, please.”

Yerim had decided to become a vegetarian a few days ago. She and Yeojin had had a long debate about it, and Yeojin’s conclusion was that she, herself, could not be a vegetarian yet, because her love for dumplings still overpowered her desire to save animals. But maybe some day she would get there. Anyway, she had taken note of Yerim not eating meat anymore so that she would make her special meals the next times they would go on picnics.

“Okay. What about drinks?”

“Can I have orange juice?” Yerim asked.

The waitress nodded, and Yerim confirmed she would take that. Yeojin asked for a soda with a funny name, just because she wanted to know what it tasted like.

“Can we get a strawberry milkshake too, please? With two straws.”

Yeojin wanted to go all the way to treat her girlfriend, and if they could Lady-and-the-Tramp a milkshake, that was even better. She had thought of everything.

The waitress walked away with their order, leaving the two girls staring at each other in comfortable silence. When Yeojin looked at Yerim, she did not realize it had been four years since they got together. It still felt as new, and as intense as it was when they started dating. Yerim was still that same bright lighthouse who she could look up to when she felt lost, and who would light up her path. Yerim broke the silence.

“I didn’t know Hyejoo and Chaewon hung out outside of school.”

Yeojin shook her head. She did not understand it either. Seeing them together in the uni hallway did not make sense.

“You saw them when they ate with us? Hyejoo was all shy. I don’t think they know each other that well. Maybe they coincidentally met at that girl’s graduation. What was her name again?”

“Sooyoung. Yeah, maybe. I think Sooyoung goes to the same dance studio as Chae. She mentioned her a couple times.”

“Oh okay! And then Hyejoo knew Sooyoung through Jiwoo, right?”

“Probably.”

Now it made more sense. Maybe it would be a good thing if Hyejoo and Chaewon hung out, so none of them had to third-wheel. Except for the fact that Chaewon was leaving for university, and Hyejoo staying in high school.

“Poor Hyejoo…”

The words had escaped Yeojin’s mouth, and Yerim frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Yeojin’s lips stretched in a cheeky smile.

“Well, she’s stuck third-wheeling with us next year.”

Yerim rolled her eyes. She had been adamant about showing less public display of affection when Hyejoo was around, but Yeojin had never listened to her. She did not want to be any less close with her girlfriend. She was sure Hyejoo did not actually mind and only kept talking about third-wheeling to tease them because it was just a fun thing to do.

“Yeojin, this isn’t a joke. Look at us all happy, what if she feels lonely and we’re rubbing it in her face?”

“Hyejoo isn’t exactly the type who wants a girlfriend.”

“What do you know about that? Have you ever talked about it with her? I haven’t. We haven’t really spent time trying to get to know her.”

Yerim was right. All this time, the girls had hung out and exchanged banalities, but weeks later, they still did not really know each other. Yeojin knew Hyejoo’s parents were in the United States, that she loved videogames and dancing, but she did not know anything more about her temporary cousin. The girl was secretive, and Yeojin had not pushed her out of her comfort zone to get more information.

“We have to do better, Yeo.”

The younger girl nodded. She did not have much to say and felt relieved when the waitress came back with their order.

“They even dyed the fries?!” Yeojin squealed.

The teenager who had brought them their plates smirked. Yeojin could not tell if she was proud of the pink fries or mocking them.

She left, and Yeojin was about to start to eat but Yerim interrupted her to take pictures for her Instagram. They were in the greasiest, most romantic place of the whole town, after all. Their pink fries deserved to be immortalized by a picture. Yeojin was very tempted to pull a face, but Yerim’s feed was so pretty she did not want to ruin it.

“I bet you can’t shove ten fries up your nose.”

Yeojin gasped, offended that Yerim had such low trust in her abilities but partly liking the idea of the challenge in itself.

“Sure I can, wanna see?”

She did not even wait for an answer, grabbing a handful of fries and placing them one by one in her nostrils, under the bewildered eyes of the people sitting in the next booth. Yeojin did not care about them. She had to succeed.

Yerim ate her own fries while watching Yeojin shoving the eighth fry up her nose, smiling. Yeojin had a hard time with the ninth one.

“Jeez, these fries are too thick.”

Yerim laughed. Or at least tried to laugh. She started coughing instead, and Yeojin would have found it laughable if Yerim did not actually seem in pain, choking. The younger girl got out of her own side of the booth and sat next to her girlfriend, giving huge slaps on the top of her back – no Yeojin did not get first aid training, she did not know it was more dangerous.

Yerim coughed one last time, and looked at Yeojin, teary eyed, before bursting into laughter. Yeojin raised an eyebrow.

“Are you okay?”

Yerim kept laughing, pointing fingers at her girlfriend. Unable to say anything because she was laughing too hard.

“Why are you laughing?”

The older girl grabbed her phone, and took a picture of a perplexed Yeojin, then showed it to her, pointing at the eight fries still hanging from her nose, one of the menacing to fall.

When Yeojin had seen Yerim choke, the last thing that had been on her mind had been to take the fries out of her nostrils.

“Haha, very funny.”

She went back to her own side and took the fries out, placing them on the side of her plate, where she would not have chance to eat any bogey. Yerim was still half-laughing, half-crying at the spectacle. And although Yeojin loved to hear her laugh, she felt humiliated. She found a way to interrupt it.

“I bet you ten thousand won that I can finish this burger faster than you.”

“You don’t have ten thousand won” Yerim deadpanned.

“I will have them when I finish this faster than you.”

Of course Yeojin had ten thousand won, she was the one paying for the two of them. She just did not have ten thousand spare won. Just enough to pay for their food. And she did not intend to lose them.

“You know what, okay, I bet I can finish my burger faster than you. If I do, you owe me ten dollars. And I’m gonna win because I owe Chaewon money.”

Yeojin frowned. She did not expect Yerim to actually race her. Even less to want to win.

“Why do you owe Chaewon money?”

“It’s a secret” Yerim smiled. “So, are you ready?”

Yeojin grabbed her burger in both hands. She could do this. She had to.

Turns out Yerim had, surprisingly, a bigger mouth, and that the girls almost tied, but Yerim was faster anyway. Now Yeojin had to find ten thousand wons to give her girlfriend. She did not know yet what she would do to get that money, but she was resourceful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be spelling and grammatical mistakes here and there because my brain is fried, I'm sorry. I hope you liked the update anyway!
> 
> Special thanks to [zhovel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhovel/pseuds/zhovel) who gave me ideas for Yeorry's date, although they sounded a lot better when she talked about it than when I wrote them. Anyway, read her fics, she's one of my fav fic writers, and I'm not saying that because she's my friend but because she is _really_ talented. If you like good characterization and atmospheres that make you _feel _, go read her works. You won't regret it, I promise.__
> 
> _  
> _Here are my[Twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac) and [Curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac)._  
>  _


	65. No Time For Love

**February 15th**

*** KAHEI’S POV ***

Despite the fact it was the middle of the afternoon, Haseul had shut the window to avoid their reflection appearing on the movie screen. The room was dark, and its only source of light was the laptop that was set on Kahei’s knees over the bed covers.

Kahei had told Haseul multiple times that she should not put her laptop on textile surfaces because it would ruin its ventilators, but Haseul had always brushed it off. Someday her laptop would burn, and she would be disappointed, but at least Kahei warned her.

As usual, Kahei had let her friend pick the movie, but she had not expected to be stuck _watching To All the Boys I Loved Before_. The cheesy teen romance would have been getting on her nerves if it were not for the compensation provided by Haseul’s head resting comfortably on her shoulder.

It had been a while since they had not spent time alone, and it made Kahei rejoice.

This weekend, everything felt like it was back to normal, and Hansol’s shadow was not there to obscure the picture. Kahei still could not believed that he had tagged along after their graduation ceremony just because it was Valentine’s Day. Haseul’s parents had made a reservation for the four of them in a fancy restaurant, and they had to make a fuss to add a fifth person to their table. The redhead had seen how embarrassed they were. But neither Hansol nor Haseul had seemed to notice.

And then, he had invited Haseul over, but thankfully, she had had enough common sense to refuse. For a second, Kahei had almost thought she would spend the night alone with her friend’s parents. Which would not have been bad – they were nice – but hanging out at her place without her would have felt wrong.

The two girls had fallen asleep right when they got home, exhausted by the emotions of the ceremony. And then, they had decided to spend the day inside because it was raining, and there they were, watching a cheesy movie.

Haseul chuckled and Kahei felt her head move on her shoulder. It was far from being uncomfortable, but Kahei was still careful not to move too much, so that she would not disturb her friend’s comfort.

“Can you imagine never telling the person you’re in love with that you’re in love with them? What a waste” Haseul’s voice broke their silence.

“I don’t know. I can’t even remember being in love.”

Kahei’s eyes were still fixated on the screen, and they did not move, even when Haseul sat up to look at her more closely, shocked by her statement.

“Have you never been in love?”

Kahei shrugged. She had been attracted to boys in the past, but never enough to catch feelings, or to actually want anything romantic to do with them. She had always been better off on her own. She had no time for love matters.

“I don’t think I have. Maybe. I can’t remember.”

Haseul pouted as if it was the saddest thing in the world. Really, Kahei was fine.

“You’re missing out on something, let me tell you that.”

Kahei had always prioritized her dreams over her relationships. And let us just say love was not a dream of hers. She wanted to travel, and she thought that having a romantic partner would mean tying herself down in one place. She did not want to be stuck anywhere. What she had learnt lately was that no place ever really felt like home. Maybe it did in the few months or years, but then, the homey feeling worn out when people got away.

South Korea did not feel like home anymore, more like the ghost of a place she used to love but that was disappearing in front of her own two eyes. She was there, but the spark she felt towards the place and its people had been fading. She could not explain it.

But being there with her bestfriend, in the quiet of her room on a rainy Saturday afternoon revived the feeling of belonging she had been craving. She had made up her mind to go back to Hong Kong, she had planned on telling Haseul this weekend, but being there with her made her doubt everything. Part of her wanted to get rid of the negative emotions that had surrounded hanging out with her best friend in the past few weeks, but part of her could not even think about the idea of being away from her.

If she missed Haseul when she was right beside her every day, how much would she miss her if she went back to Hong Kong? Surely a lot more. Maybe Kahei could take it a bit more. Maybe she could let Haseul slip away a bit more before making her decision. But in this moment, they were huddled together, and it felt right, and she did not want to ruin it.

So, she did not tell Haseul what had been on her mind. She just stayed there, enjoying her friend’s company while she could, while they were undisturbed and their world belonged to them only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i hope you liked this update!  
> do you think Kahei will stay or do you think she will leave? tell me!
> 
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac) \- [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac) \- [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac)


	66. A Taste of Perfection

**February 16**

*** JUNGEUN’S POV ***

Jungeun had hoped her first weekend back home after the end of the school year would be peaceful and quiet. After working hard for months, both for university and at the café, she felt like taking a well-deserved break.

But her father had decided otherwise. He had asked her to help him review all the family finances. She did feel like it was not her place as a child, but she could not say no to her dad. He made her do that every single time they were both at home. So it had turned into a lesson on how to manage money, and especially how to _not_ manage money, as he showed Jungeun examples of how her mother spent money when he was away.

Her father did not go about it in a mean way. He did not criticize his wife for spending that much money on things he did not think were necessary. Instead, he looked worried. And that was how Jungeun had learnt to worry about spending money herself. When she had to buy something, she would always think _“is that reasonable? Is thaat the kind of spending he would approve?”_.

And every time her father made her go over her family finances, he would go over her own as well. He was still in control of Jungeun’s self-gained money. Sometimes it bothered her. And sometimes it made her feel safe. She always showed him her receipts, that she kept track of in a very organized manner, full of apprehension. But then, he would look at everything and look at her with a proud smile.

_“You’re doing good with your money, Jungeun.”_

This time, however, there had been something he did not like.

“The Loonatic? What is that?”

Jungeun’s ears had turned red. How could she even explain she had spent money on alcohol in a bar? Let alone a gay bar. Homosexuality had never been a taboo in their family, but Jungeun had not exactly come out, and this was definitely not the way she wanted her father to find out she liked women.

“It was a concert.”

Jungeun was a very bad liar, so she tried to keep it simple. Her father’s pupils had darkened, and the usual look of worry on his face had been replaced by suspicion, reproach even.

“Is that what you spend your money on?”

Jungeun’s heart was pounding. She did not know what kind of scolding she would get. Never before had she spent money on something that was not entirely necessary to her survival as a student.

“I… It was as treat to myself for working so hard and passing my exams… Jinsoul did not want to go alone, and you know… I thought that, for once, it wouldn’t hurt?”

Her dad had bitten his lips, clearly looking for words.

“It was once, huh? Can you promise me you won’t do it again?”

Jungeun had nodded without a second thought. The last thing she wanted was to get her father mad and see the look in his eyes when she would fall from the pedestal he had placed her onto.

“I won’t. I promise.”

Of course Jungeun had not thought of what her words were implying. But she would have enough time to worry about it later.

And now, here she was in her bedroom, looking back on the whole ordeal. She realized that going to the The Loonatic had been a nice experience. Two nice experiences. She had let go, for once, and it felt freeing. The last time, she had spent money carelessly, had drunk carelessly, had let other people take care of her. And she had enjoyed it, although she would never admit it out loud.

Thinking she had just promised her dad that she would give up on the only thing that had allowed her to relax in the past months was painful. She did not want to disappoint him. But she was earning her own money, now. She had always been responsible and tons of it were saved up on a bank account. Why did it matter so much to him that she did not spend any? She could. She really could.

Sometimes, Jungeun was tired of feeling controlled by her parents’ expectations. And when she realized it was her own fault they were so high, it made it worse. She had gotten them used to her overachieving, always wanting to be perfect, that now they were not expecting any less of her anymore. She had always upheld her own standards and did not even know how they would react if her grades dropped, or if she made a mistake. She always made sure it would never happen.

But what if she wanted to make these mistakes? To live like a normal student her age? To _live_?

When she thought about it, it was daunting. If she did do that, so many things could go wrong. She could imagine all of them. Maybe sticking to perfection was the safest way, after all. Her parents were probably right. By studying and working all the time, she was keeping herself from youth experiences, but also saving herself from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happened this time, but I hope it will help you get insight on why Jungeun always shows restraint.
> 
> I'd love to discuss her more, by the way. Feel free to give me your thoughts!
> 
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac) \- [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac) \- [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac)


	67. Wannabe

**February 17**

*** JINSOUL’S POV ***

Jinsoul had been sending job applications out all day and her wrists were aching because of all the typing. Looking for a job as a music producer was not an easy task for someone who was barely out of school, but she wanted to try anyway. She replied to job offers and also spontaneously If it did not work out, she could still try to become an idol.

Anyway, she had done enough for the day. She closed her laptop and climbed upstairs to put it back in her room. She heard the front door open. Probably Ryujin.

Her sister still had to go to school for her last week before the break.

Jinsoul looked at the time. 7pm. Ryujin had come home a lot later than she usually did.

The older girl started walking down the stairs.

“Where have you b-“

And then, Jinsoul understood why Ryujin was late. The change was unmistakable. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?! I TOLD YOU NOT TO BLEACH IT!”

Tears were making their way to Jinsoul’s eyes. It was a disaster. Ryujin was grinning, proud of her disregard for her older sister’s advice.

Jinsoul had bleached her hair for years. Mainly because once she had done it, it was already ruined and there was no way back unless she cut it, so she had kept dying it. She had warned her sisters many times about how damaging it was.

“My hair is just fine!” the teenager rolled her eyes.

“Of course it’s just fine, it’s the first day” Jinsoul whined.

Jinsoul shook her head, helpless. She had thought that Ryujin had calmed down since winter break, but apparently, she was wrong.

“Why did you even do it?”

“Just felt like it” Ryujin shrugged.

Jinsoul did not even know what to say. But she could tell there was more to it than just a whim. She raised an eyebrow, hoping her sister would elaborate.

“Yeji said it would suit me.”

“So you listen to whatever Yeji says, now?”

The younger girl’s cheeks tainted in pink, and that’s when Jinsoul remembered about her sister’s secret crush.

“Are you gonna tell her you like her, some day?”

Ryujin lowered her head, pain showing on her traits for an instant, before raising her head again as if nothing happened.

“No, she’s graduating Friday. There’s no point telling her.”

Jinsoul’s second eyebrow joined the first.

“So you _do_ like her, after all.”

Ryujin rolled her eyes, not replying.

“You should tell her.” Jinsoul paused. “It doesn’t matter if she’s leaving. If you like her you need to tell her, because otherwise you’ll regret.”

Ryujin was staring at her, unwavering.

“Are you talking from experience?”

A few years back, in high school, Jinsoul had indeed had a crush on a person, and she had never told them. She had spent days, weeks even, pondering the idea of confessing. But she had not. And then, at the end of high school, she had learnt that this person had had a crush on her all this time. Since then, she had concluded that she would always take a chance. Yet she never did. She had never needed to. And she was glad, because rejection was one of the things that were hard on her self-esteem.

“Maybe I am. You should tell her. You and Yeji are close, what could possibly happen? She’ll reject you, you’ll be friends and you’ll be fine.”

“Do I look like I Wannabe rejected by my best friend?”

Jinsoul had not thought about it that way.

“Will it really change anything between the two of you? I don’t think Yeji would turn her back on you or anything, she’s not the type to do that.”

Jinsoul’s phone pinged, and she stopped talking to read the text she had gotten.

_Jiwoo: Hi Jinsoul! Did you get a reply for any of you job applications?_ _☺_ _️_

The two girls had been talking ever since Jiwoo had texted Jinsoul first. That was when Jinsoul had understood that Sooyoung had not asked for Jinsoul’s number for herself. The older girl did not know if Jiwoo liked her, or anything of the sort, but she enjoyed talking to her. Her texts always put her in a good mood, and she it seemed like she actually cared about Jinsoul as a person, and not just as a popular 3rd year, so she kept the conversation going.

“Is that your girlfriend?”

Ryujin’s voice interrupted Jinsoul’s thoughts.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. And this conversation isn’t about me. Tell Yeji.”

“I won’t.”

“Fine, at least buy blue shampoo to protect your hair. I don’t want you to end up looking like a scarecrow when it’s all fried.”

“Sure.”

Ryujin stuck her tongue out and left the living room, leaving Jinsoul standing there on her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT THE COMEBACK???!!!! I AM!!!


	68. Gravity

**February 18**

*** YERIM’S POV ***

The last week of school was going by fast, and Yerim felt the weight on her chest grow heavier each day. She knew the break would only be two weeks long, but still, she felt like she would never see her friends again. It was not true, and she knew it. The oldest ones would go, but she was not really close to them, anyway. Yet, it reminded her that next year, it would be her turn to graduate. She did not know if Hyejoo would still be there. And she definitely knew she would leave Yeojin behind then.

Maybe it was the anticipation of it that made her sad. She did not want to leave her girlfriend. Something inside of her made her feel like if she graduated, things would be different between them. After all, they had always been together. They did not even know what life would be like if they were apart. Yerim did not want to know.

Fear was gnawing its way inside of her. A fear that things would be _too_ different.

She felt it sometimes, when she looked at other girls, wondering what it would be like to date them. The fear that if she and Yeojin were apart, she might be more curious than she already was. She might let her brain go wild and give in to that curiosity. But Yeojin was there, and that was all that mattered. Yerim was happily in love, and she tried not to wonder too much about these things.

But the end of the school year was triggering it all. All the questioning about how life would be different in a year. How life could be different now if things had not gone the way they had.

Yet, Yerim never let it show. A lot of things were happening inside her head all the time, but she preferred to focus on the moment, to find the positive around her and reflect it to others. It was easier, and it allowed her thought to remain hers and hers only.

That, day, what attracted her attention was the way Yeojin’s fingers were curled around beads, as she made matching friendship bracelets for Yerim and Hyejoo, on the floor of her bedroom. Yerim loved seeing Yeojin concentrate on something, put all her energy and will into what she was doing. She could look at her forever.

Yeojin suddenly raised her head, as if she had felt her gaze. She did not say anything, she just smiled. The fireflies moved around in Yerim’s belly, turning her inside light on. Yeojin made everything brighter.

The younger girl looked back at the beads. As she reached to grab one, Yerim grabbed her hand, and brought it to her own cheek, forcing Yeojin to look at her. When she looked in her girlfriend’s eyes, there was so much she wanted to say, and only so many words could voice it. There were not enough. Nothing she could say could convey how she felt.

She broke their stare, bringing her face insanely close to Yeojin’s. She liked being so close, like nothing could ever separate them. She could feel her girlfriend’s breath on her lips, and she closed the distance between them. The fireflies were waltzing. Their lips moved against each other, and it was like their bodies were melting, merging, and their soul fusing. Nothing ever came close to how kissing Yeojin felt. It was warm, so warm. Like they were inside a log cabin, cuddle next to a fireplace. Except the fireplace was burning from inside of Yerim. She did not need any wood cabin, or any kind of getaway for that matter, to make Yeojin feel like home.

And from the way her girlfriend’s lips were just as demanding as hers, she could tell Yeojin felt the same way. The fire had never died down between the two of them. If there was one thing Yerim never doubted, it was Yeojin’s affection. She could feel it all. It was intense. Too intense. She pulled away.

Yeojin smiled at her, cheeky. She did not seem as affected as Yerim was, but Yeojin was good at playing things off in a cool manner. Yerim felt herself blush. It did not happen very often, but the way Yeojin was looking at her was too much to handle. Yerim stared at her as she quietly went back to her beads, as if nothing happened, still smiling.

And then the moment went back to how it was: peaceful, comfortable. Yerim decided to make a bracelet too. She grabbed beads at the same time as Yeojin did, and their hands brushed. She would never get used to the electricity that had been appearing more and more often lately. Never. She usually tried her best to forget it. But she knew it was there, and a simple touch was enough to bring it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so slow at updating. i'd like to formally apologize for the millionth time. if you're still reading, thank you ♥


	69. Surprises and Hot Chocolate

**February 19**

*** JIWOO’S POV ***

One would argue that showing up on Jungeun’s doorstep unannounced was not exactly the best idea ever. From what Jiwoo could remember from her kindergarten days (to be truthful, she could not remember much), Jungeun’s parents did not exactly like surprises. The one time the two girls had found lipstick in the playground and had smeared it all over each other’s face, their parents had had widely different reactions. Jiwoo’s mom had laughed at the sight of her three-year-old trying to act like a grown up. Jungeun’s dad had been mad that Jungeun had made such a mess over her face. After a while, it had seemed like Jungeun herself did not like surprises either.

Still, Jiwoo had decided that the risk was worth taking. After all, the school break was boring. If it were not for the daily chats she had with Jinsoul over text every day, nothing exciting would happen at all. She wanted to spice it up a little bit. She was extroverted, she could not stay alone with her mother for such a long period of time. Of course, her mother was a lovely person, and she was always happy to spend time with Jiwoo, since they did not see each other often, but the student wanted to see _other_ people.

To be entirely honest, she wanted to see Hyunjin. She had not seen her since she had gotten a girlfriend. But Hyunjin was far away. And anyway, the two of them could hang out at university when Hyunjin would enrol, right? And Sooyoung… let’s just say Sooyoung had not been in the mood to talk, lately. And she was far too. There was nothing Jiwoo could do to distract her from her misery.

She came to the conclusion that he closest thing she had to a bestfriend around here was Jungeun. So that’s who she settled for. She figured the other girl’s company would be more pleasant than her mom’s.

As she knocked on the door, she felt a bit apprehensive. The two of them had never hung out together since they were kids. Not just the two of them anyway. Sooyoung and Jinsoul had always been there. Would it be any different? Jiwoo had noticed that Jungeun could be a little awkward with strangers… unless she was drunk, that is.

Plus, she didn’t even know if the girl still lived in this house. She could have very well moved.

The door opened, and Jungeun’s face confirmed her suspicions. Her frown was unmistakable. Jungeun was bothered by her presence. But at least Jiwoo had found the right house.

“Hi… hum…”

Quick, Jiwoo had to justify her presence.

“Hi Jungeun! I was bored, and I just thought ‘hey, what if Jungeun still lives over there? Could we hang out?’ and here I am. I don’t wanna be a bother though, I can go back home. I just thought it’d be worth a try.”

Jiwoo could feel her heart beating very fast seeing Jungeun’s poker face. Jungeun was staring at her silently, until a small smile formed on her lips.

“Sure. Come in!”

She opened the door wide enough so Jiwoo could walk in.

The least you could say about the house was that it was tidy. Everything was right in its place, nothing was laying around, not even a piece of paper on the coffee table. It was so clean that it could have been a model house. It was hard to believe people even lived there. Jiwoo gasped involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” Jungeun asked.

“Nothing! I like the decoration.”

It was not entirely a lie. Jiwoo did like how pure and neat the lines were. The house was modern and comfortable. She liked it. She just would never live in it. It felt too impersonal.

“Oh, that. My mom wants to put colors everywhere, but my dad’s been adamant about how chic black, white and grey are.”

Jiwoo nodded. Jungeun said it matter-of-factly, as if there was no emotion attached to how her house felt. Maybe there was none. Jiwoo wondered why Jungeun often looked so detached. Even as a kid she rarely let anything show. The redhead was sure there was a lot going on inside her friend’s head, though.

“Are your parents home?”

“No, they’re visiting some friends today. Do you want coffee or anything?”

Jiwoo? Drinking coffee? No way. But she would take up on the offer regardless, and that with a cute smile on her face.

“Do you have hot chocolate?”

Jungeun seemed surprised but she nodded. No one ever resisted Jiwoo. And if the cute smile did not work, she would use her puppy eyes anyway. But this time she did not need to.

The other girl led her to the kitchen and started making the hot chocolate. Even in the way she poured the milk, Jungeun was cautious and precise. Was she ever sloppy? Jiwoo did not think so.

“I hope I’m not bothering you. I’m sorry for showing up like that.”

Jungeun looked at her and smiled, more frankly than she had earlier.

“No, I’m glad actually. I like having company. I’m used to being with Jinsoul a lot, you know? Being alone with my parents is a lot different, so I’m glad you’re here to distract me.”

Jiwoo pouted.

“Are your parents that bad?”

Jungeun shook her head.

“No, they’re not. I’m just glad to have someone my age around, you know?”

Jiwoo nodded and took her phone out of her pocket. She had one unread message. From Jinsoul. Talking about the devil… An idea sparked in Jiwoo’s mind.

“How about we send a selfie to Jinsoul? I’m sure it will make her happy.”

The microwave rung right in this moment, so Jungeun turned around and Jiwoo could not see her face.

“Wait, are you talking to Jinsoul?”

If there was an expression Jiwoo was not expecting on Jungeun’s face, it was the smirk she was wearing right then.

“I… yeah? Why?”

Jungeun shrugged, still smiling, looking Jiwoo right in the eyes.

“Oh nothing. I’m just surprised.” She paused. “Let’s send her a pic!”

Jungeun was surprisingly easy to convince. But Jiwoo could tell from the way her friend was looking at her that the other girl’s mind was running at full speed, trying to figure out what Jiwoo and Jinsoul’s relationship was. To be honest, it was nothing. Jiwoo had texted Jinsoul one day, and they had kept talking since. If anything, they were friends. Most of the time, Jiwoo asked the other girl for advice, mostly on how to deal with Sooyoung’s situation – but without telling the other girl it was about Sooyoung.

Jiwoo brought her phone up in the air and waited for Jungeun to put her face next to hers.

“Should we pull faces?” Jiwoo asked.

Jungeun looked sceptical for a second.

“You know what? Let’s do it.”

The two girls put their best grimaces on. Jiwoo checked the picture and hit send, without letting Jungeun look at it. She could sense that the other girl would make her take it over and over again until it was perfect if given the chance.

“Great! So, what should we do now?”

Jungeun was pouring herself coffee, and she stopped to look at the ceiling, thinking. She looked back at Jiwoo.

“Do you watch dramas?”

Jiwoo nodded vigorously.

“I love the sappy ones.”

Jungeun smiled. Jiwoo could tell they had an agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you're getting another chapter in about 13 or 14 hours. this is a promise. it's bc i told people on twitter "hey if you leave lots of stuff on my curiouscat you'll get an update tomorrow" and they did, so i decided to make it 2 for the price of 1.
> 
> did you know that, in fact, leaving comments and stuff on my curiouscat is the way to make me write faster? i think by now you'd know i'm a sucker for reader's engagement and feedback.
> 
> anyway, see you tonight! thank you for reading ♥
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac). Ask questions on [Curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac). Support my writing on [Ko-Fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac).


	70. Texts for Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi so hm.. you might have noticed that i wrote Jiwoo's chapter before Sooyoung's right? it was a mistake, but it doesn't really matter, it's not gonna mess up their respective timelines at all. so you're getting Sooyoung now.

**February 20**

*** SOOYOUNG’S POV ***

The least you could say about Sooyoung’s behaviour lately, is that it was erratic. One day, she would act like everything was fine, and the next she would stare at the ceiling in her bed from sunrise to sunset.

Nothing in particular prompted her mood swings but self-hatred. If Sooyoung was entirely honest, she was not as mad at Chaeyoung for ghosting her as she was at herself for catching feelings in the first place. It was unexpected. She probably would have never realized it if she did not get ghosted.

And let’s just say that Sooyoung would have preferred to remain blissful. Why she only ever knew she was in love when she was in pain, she did not know. All she knew was that the only times she had realized she had gotten attached to someone was when they left her. And that had happened with Park Chaeyoung too.

Maybe Sooyoung did not even have any feelings for her. Maybe she was just getting love and suffering mixed up. After all, she could not tell them apart.

What she did know was that, as usual, someone who had gotten close had left. Every time she let someone in, they disappeared. Maybe they did not like what they saw. In her worst days, Sooyoung would try to understand what it was, and she would tear herself apart trying to figure it out, looking at the worst sides of herself, those that she did not want to see.

But at the end of the day, she knew that even the closest people did not see her worst sides. Even with those she let it, she would keep her charms on display, and nothing else. There had to be something else about her that acted as a repellent. She did not know what, though. But if there was, she would rather not let any more people see it. At least until she could pinpoint what it was and change it.

So, she stayed inside. She saw how fast her fridge was emptying itself. She knew she would have to see the daylight at some point. Very soon, in fact, considering all that was left was an expired yoghurt.

She did not have it in her heart to get dressed and go out. It was one of her bad days. Nothing would make her want to go outside.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She closed the fridge door. Food could wait.

Her heart almost dropped when she saw Park Chae…won. Park Chaewon. She rolled her eyes. She liked the tiny blonde but what could she possibly want from her?

Chaewon: _hey sooyoung! can i ask you a favour?_

Sooyoung snorted. She had nothing to give right now, not even her time, and certainly not her energy.

Sooyoung: _Depends what kind of favour_

Her message was seen right away. Sooyoung could not help but feel repulsed by the idea of someone counting on her to reply. The bubble showed that Chaewon had started typing. The older girl thought it would never end. She sat down on her couch and stared at the screen.

Chaewon: _i have an audition for YG X on March, 4. could you help me get ready? you’re one of the best dancers at the studio, i’d like to have your opinion. please don’t tell anyone about it._

If anything, Sooyoung was flattered. The blonde was one of the best dancers herself, so it meant a lot that she would look up to Sooyoung, or at least consider her as an equal. Sooyoung did not have it in her to dance, or even talk about dancing, though. She did not want to reply. Not now, at least. Maybe if she waited a bit she would gather the courage to accept Chaewon’s offer.

She went back to the fridge, and suddenly remembered it was empty. She could order delivery food. That would be nice. But which one? She did not want to pick. Sushi? No. Pizza? No.

Her phone buzzed again.

Chaewon: _???_

Right, Sooyoung had left her on read. She took a deep breath. She had to reply.

Sooyoung: _Alright. We can talk about it tomorrow_

Once again, she did not have to wait for long to get a reply.

Chaewon: _i won’t be there tomorrow. i have my graduation._

Sooyoung pursed her lips. How could she forget? Chaewon had complained so much about how she hated school, and she had been so relieved when she had known she had passed her year… That was something big for her.

Sooyoung: _Right. Congratulations! Have fun!_

Something was missing in her text.

Sooyoung: _I’m proud of you, btw_

There. Sooyoung felt like puking at the thought of being sentimental, but after all the time they had spent training together over the years, she had grown fond of Chaewon. She would probably consider her as a friend if they hung out outside of the studio – which they never did.

Chaewon: _thank u_ _♥_

Sooyoung sighed. If she was to help the younger girl, she would have to get a grip. Maybe it could start by ordering food. She thought some more and ended up picking Indian curry. The simple fact that she had managed to make a choice felt like a bit of pressure was taken off her chest. Maybe simple decisions today would make her tomorrow better. She could only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked these 2 recent chapters! hopefully i'll have time to write more often now. if working from home bc of lockdown doesn't kill me first. anyway, i'm glad you guys are still there even tho i'm slow, thank u ♥
> 
> follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac). ask questions on [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac). support my writing on [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac).


	71. Congraduation

**February 21**

*** CHAEWON’S POV ***

Graduating high school.

This was something Chaewon did not think she would be able to achieve. She was not exactly a dunce, but she was not the best student either. Let’s just say that Chaewon spent more time dancing than doing homework, and it showed in her grades. But somehow, she had managed to graduate. Barely, but she had.

So of course, everyone’s spirits at homes were high. Hyunjin was graduating with excellent grades, her mother was proud, and even Chaewon’s father had managed to smile when the girls got their results. Chaewon suspected that he was happier to see his wife happy than he was about the girls’ graduating. If he cared about it, he did not show it at all. But the blonde was used to it.

The only way she could get her father’s attention now would be if she dyed her hair blue. Which was really tempting. She would do it right away if she was not scared it would ruin her chances at passing an audition.

And here was her father, thinking she was going to university to study economics and finances. He was not completely wrong. She was going to university… at least until she passed an audition. And then she would quit and pursue dancing. It was all she wanted to do. She did not intend to put more effort in uni than she did in high school. She would just… attend. Maybe she would even skip. There was no way her father could know.

It was better that he lived in bliss, anyway. That way he could just enjoy graduation ceremony, and Chaewon could avoid a fight she was not ready to have.

At least, Hyunjin’s mother seemed happy enough for the whole family. She had been running around the house, preparing a festive supper for when they would get back from the ceremony.

The ceremony in itself was boring. Chaewon yawned so many times she thought that she would fall asleep right there and right then. She could hear Hyunjin and Heejin giggle from time to time next to her. Chaewon noted that they were not holding hands, or showing any gestures of affection. Their giggle made them seem like an inattentive mess more than a couple. Maybe it was because their parents were around. Ever since they had gotten together, Chaewon had rarely seen them more than ten centimeters apart, so seeing them not touching each other was a first.

Anyway, Heejin got her diploma, Chaewon clapped and whistled, exchanging a wide smile with Heejin’s mother. Hyunjin got her diploma, Chaewon clapped with their parents. Then she got her own diploma, said thank you, bowed on the stage, and it was time for all the high school graduates and their parents to enjoy the buffet. The three girls introduced their parents to each other and went their separate ways.

They were close to the buffet in the corner of the room, standing next to each other. Hyunjin leaned in to fake whisper in Chaewon’s ear, letting everyone around know what she was saying. Good thing their parents were too close.

“Is your Minecraft girlfriend coming to the ceremony?”

Heejin looked incredulously at Chaewon, who rolled her eyes. Keeping a Minecraft girlfriend from her bestfriend was a crime that could lead to renunciation of their friendship.

“I told you I don’t have one.”

Hyunjin shrugged.

“I know you have one. You’ve been acting weird lately.”

Had she? Maybe the prospect of audition made her act giddier than usual. Or maybe Hyunjin was just good at picking up on lies and secrets, and in this case she had to be extra careful about the way she behaved around her stepsister. And around Heejin too, now that _she_ looked curious.

Hyunjin looked away and Heejin mouthed “do you?” to which Chaewon replied by opening her eyes wide, threatening, and shaking her head. Of course she did not. She did not have time for a girlfriend, let alone a Minecraft one.

“CONGRATULATIONS!”

The voices came from behind her, and Chaewon was happy to see Yerim, Yeojin and Hyejoo, who looked ecstatic.

“Thank you! What are you guys doing here? You’re not even graduating!”

The three girls were wearing their best outfits. Hyejoo was even wearing a tuxedo.

“We came to support you!”

Yerim was beaming. She was obviously the one who had dragged the others along. Yeojin looked excited, but the way she looked at the buffet told Chaewon a lot about the real reason of her presence ; and Hyejoo looked really uncomfortable, looking at her feet most of the time. The latter did manage to smile when she felt Chaewon’s gaze on her, though.

It had been more than a week since Chaewon had sat down at their table for lunch for the first time, and she had eaten with them twice since then – she could not abandon Heejin that easily. But Hyejoo was still acting awkward around her. And she barely acknowledged her at dance practice.

Chaewon could tell that the girl was simply shy, and she decided she had to find a cure to that.

“Thank you! I’m glad you guys are here. I’m sure you’ll like the buffet.”

She looked at Yeojin while saying the last sentence. The other girl winked, and pulled on Yerim’s hand to take her to the buffet. Hyejoo followed, but Chaewon took her chance and grabbed her wrist. The black-haired girl froze, and her cheeks tinted to pink.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

The girl frowned, not seeing where Chaewon was going with that question.

“Huh… Yeah. Why?”

Chaewon smiled, pretending she did not see how uncomfortable Hyejoo was.

“There’s something I want to talk about, but now is not the right time. Can we meet over coffee or something?”

Hyejoo nodded.

“Wait, I’ll give you my number.”

Chaewon spotted a pen on a nearby table an she pulled a piece of paper from a notebook that was laying there. Maybe if its owner was more careful, bad things would not have happened to it. When she looked back at Hyejoo, she noticed that the girl was wide-eyed.

“Did you just tear the guest book?”

The blonde looked at the notebook. Is that what it was? She shrugged, it did not really matter. She wrote her number and gave the piece of paper to the other girl.

“Text me tonight.”

Hyejoo replied with a single nod. There was nothing more to add. Chaewon could not get into details with so many people around. She did not even know if it was a good idea to tell Hyejoo. Somehow, she knew she could trust the younger girl. She had a gut feeling that she could.

The high school graduate spotted Heejin and Hyunjin on the other side of the buffet, so she gave the black-haired girl a quick smile and left. She saw in the corner of her eye that Hyejoo was still standing there, dumbfounded, and it made her smile even wider. Hyejoo was effortlessly funny. Chaewon was sure she would find a way to make the other feel comfortable around her so she could enjoy her funniness even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry, i didn't proofread that completely bc my brain is fried. feel free to point out my mistakes if you want, so i can edit them out haha.
> 
> anyway, i think the inspiration is coming back and i find it very relaxing to write before bed. i'm excited! i hope you are too!
> 
> follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac). ask questions on [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac). support my writing on [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac).


	72. Ruling Out Scenarios

**February 22**

*** HYEJOO’S POV ***

Hyejoo would lie if she said she had slept more than ten minutes last night. She could barely keep her eyes closed, the ceiling being the perfect place to project all her thoughts. Things could have gone as usual after the ceremony last night. She could have gone home, played for a few hours, gone to bed at dawn, and woken up at noon.

But this was not what had happened. She had gone to Chaewon’s graduation ceremony because Yerim had dragged her there. Not that Hyejoo did not want to go. It was just… she was still intimidated by Chaewon, and she was scared that her presence would be a bother for the blonde.

For some reason, she absolutely could not bring herself to talk to the older girl. She had seen how kind she was, both at school with Yeojin and Yerim, and at the dance studio with basically everyone. But still, Hyejoo was intimidated. Chaewon did seem a bit closed-off, even though she was kind. Of course, a girl who was so pretty and who would attract people like a magnet had to be careful about who she surrounded herself with. And Hyejoo did not feel like she could fit the girl’s friendship standards, so she just panicked every time Chaewon paid attention to her.

What if she said or did something dumb? What if Chaewon thought poorly of her because she was a loser?

She would rather not find ound, and her strategy of barely talking to the blonde had worked well until now. The girl had not really talked to her either. But last night, things had changed.

All at once, Chaewon had asked her to hang out. She had _things_ to tell Hyejoo. And that was the scariest part. What could she possibly have to tell her?

Since then, scenarios had been playing inside Hyejoo’s head. Maybe Chaewon was about to tell her secret gossip that Yeojin and Yerim could not know. But why would she do that?

The worst of all the scenarios was the following: what if Chaewon told her that she had been secretly crushing on Hyejoo? It was one of the things that could possibly happen when people said they had “things” to talk about, right? Hyejoo had seen it in movies. And somehow, it was the one that kept replaying every time she closed her eyes, hoping the sandman would get her.

She told herself it could not possibly be true, but what if it was? She would shake her head on her pillow and try to think of something else. It could not be it. But what if? What if that was why the two girls had almost religiously ignored each other? Not that Hyejoo had a crush on Chaewon, of course. Hyejoo was just shy. But Chaewon did not seem as shy, so what was her reason? Did she have a cr-? No. It was not possible. Hyejoo told herself that, over and over again.

But she still had her doubts. At some point during the night, she had gotten up and knocked on Jiwoo’s door. No reply. Of course, since Jiwoo was at her mother’s place for the break. She would only come back the next day.

Hyejoo and Jiwoo had not exactly grown close, each girl doing her own thing most of the time. But they got along well, and Hyejoo was craving for an older girl’s advice. Maybe the redhead could think of much more reasonable scenarios that would help Hyejoo sleep tightly. But Jiwoo was not there, so Hyejoo had gone back to her bedroom, and kept thinking and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, all night long.

It was about 9am when Sera opened the door slightly, to check if Hyejoo was still sleeping. The girl saw the woman frown when she saw her wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling.

“Hyejoo, what are you doing?”

Hyejoo had looked at her host in the eyes.

“Nothing.”

Sera should her head.

“Yeah, I can see that. Breakfast is still warm, if you want to eat it now. I’m on my way out. See you at lunch!”

The woman was about to close the door, Hyejoo sat up reaching for the door with her arm, despite the fact that it was meters away.

“Sera, wait!”

Her host walked in fully, this time.

“I won’t be there for lunch. I’m eating with a.. huh.. a friend. Of Yeojin and Yerim’s.”

Too much information. Hyejoo knew she did not need to give that many details. Sera smiled, for a reason unknown to the teenager.

“Oh is that so? Okay. Have fun! Call me if you need a ride.”

Hyejoo nodded, and when the door closed she let herself plop back onto her pillow and sighed. How was she even supposed to dress? She had never been asked out to lunch by any of her friends in the past. She had always been the ghost girl in the background that no ever noticed. And now, someone wanted to _hang out_ with her? Just that felt surreal. And how do you dress for lunch at a restaurant?

She thought she would text Yeojin.

Hyejoo: _Do you know Creative BurgerBlock?_

The answer came right away.

Yeojin: _lmao yeah that’s where yerim and I went on valentine’s day. why?_

On Valentine’s Day??? Was it a romantic place? Were Hyejoo’s worries about to become concrete issues?

Hyejoo: _What kind of place is it? Do you have to dress fancy to go there?_

Yeojin: _fancy?? definitely not. i mean, you can if you want to, but the place is anything but fancy. it’s the cheapest burger place in town. the food is okay tho._

Hyejoo: _Okay, thanks!_

Yeojin: _why are you asking? are you going there?_

Hyejoo saw the notification but did not open the last message. She did not want to open it, and she did not want to leave Yeojin on read either, so pretending she did not see it was the best option.

* * *

Hyejoo waited anxiously in front of the burger place. As Yeojin had said, it looked very cheap, and she almost thought she should have gone with her worst outfit, just because she was convinced that her pretty pullover would be stained by the grease she was sure she was seeing on the tables.

The sun was bright in the sky, and she had to shield her eyes from the sun to see who was coming her way, although she could tell from the posture it was her friend. _Her friend??_ Since when did she consider the tiny girl as a friend? They had almost never even talked together. But was she supposed to think of the other girl as a stranger? Probably not.

“Hum hi!” the blonde said when she arrived, looking at her feet. “Should we get in?”

“Hi. Yeah.”

Hyejoo was looking at her own feet too. It was like the two of them could physically not look each other in the eyes.

The waitress sat them at a table near the children’s playground, and Hyejoo tried her very best to not look annoyed at the noise. She did not want Chaewon to think she was an awful human being who hated children. But the awkward silence between them made it even harder to ignore the shrieks and squeals.

“Man, children are so loud. Why did she place us here?”

Hyejoo’s eyes opened wide. She definitely was not expecting the other girl to voice her own thoughts.

“I… hum… do you hate them too?”

Chaewon nodded vigorously.

“Yes. I don’t have the patience. And my ears are sensitive. But I didn’t want to bother the waitress so… I’ll bear it.”

Hyejoo nodded, her gaze still fixated on the menu. There was not much else she could say. And apparently Chaewon had not much to say either. They remained completely silent until the waitress came back to get their order.

When she left, they remained silent a bit more.

But they Hyejoo felt really awkward, so she had to find anything to break the silence.

“So huh.. wh-“

“So, I ask-“

The two girls interrupted each other.

“Go ahead” Hyejoo pointed at Chaewon with her chin, still not looking at her.

She would gladly let Chaewon do the talking.

“So, hum… I told you I had things to talk with you about, right?”

Hyejoo nodded.

“I… need your help.”

Chaewon paused, expecting a reaction, and Hyejoo was just staring blankly at the table, her mind running miles. What could Chaewon possibly need her help with?

“With dancing.”

Hyejoo finally looked at the other girl, frowning. If there was one person who did not need Hyejoo’s help with dancing, it would have to be Chaewon. Or maybe Sooyoung, but that was not the point.

“With dancing?” she asked.

Chaewon sighed, leaning back on her chair.

“Yeah, with dancing. And you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone about it either. Except Sooyoung, she already knows.”

Hyejoo frowned even harder, if such a thing was possible. But then she realized it might be rude, so she relaxed.

“Hm… how can I help you with dancing? I don’t think you need anyone’s help with that.”

Chaewon blushed instantly.

“First of all, that’s not true. Second, I have an audition soon, and I want to be good enough so I pass.”

“But you _are_ good enough.”

The last sentence had come so naturally out of Hyejoo’s mouth, so bluntly, that she blushed afterwards when she realized.

And now, Chaewon was the one who could not look at her anymore.

“You don’t understand. Maybe I’m good at dancing, but all the other auditionees will be too. I need my performance to be perfect. And I need someone to pinpoint stuff. I thought you and Sooyoung could help. You guys are both really good with details.”

Quite frankly, Hyejoo was relieved that _this_ scenario, that she had not thought about at all, was the one happening. So relieved that bravery seized her for a second.

“Sure, I’ll help. When do you want to train?”

“You will?” Chaewon looked up, her eyes showing signs of distress.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

The blonde’s expression turned into a smile of relief, and Hyejoo thought this was the cutest thing she had had to witness that day. Maybe it was all worth the awkwardness, after all.

“How about every day after school? Are you free? I don’t have my schedule for uni, but I’ll tell you if there are days when we can’t meet as soon as I know.”

“Okay, works for me. I’ll tell Sera.”

Chaewon raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s Sera? Is she your girlfriend?”

Hyejoo’s eyes went wide.

“What? NO!! She’s Yeojin’s aunt. I live with her until my parents come back from America.”

Chaewon smirked.

“I see… About parents: if you ever meet my dad or Hyunjin’s mom. Do _not_ mention anything about the auditions. Ever. They have no idea. My dad thinks I’m gonna study business.”

Hyejoo nodded. She kept secrets from her parents too. Not exactly secrets, more like, her whole life. They never asked, and she never told them anything. They did not have a special bond, which encouraged Hyejoo furthermore to keep things to herself. So she could understand what it was like to not want to tell anything to her parents.

She and Chaewon talked about it some more. And Hyejoo was glad to have someone who she could talked about her parents with. She never did it with Yeojin and Yerim because of the whole family situation, and the fact that Sera was friends with her parents. So, after two months spent there, keeping things to herself, she was glad to find someone who could understand, at least a little.

Maybe going for lunch with the blonde was not such a bad experience after all. She had certainly not planned the scenario where they would befriend each other. But it happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really liked writing this one, it's one of my favs so far! i hope you'll enjoy it too ♥
> 
> fun fact about this chapter: i started writing it on my birthday while i was drunk bc i _really_ didn't want to go one more day without posting, but then it was't making any sense inside my head so i had to stop writing. so i wanted to get back to it yesterday, but i was sick all day. so you're FINALLY getting it today.
> 
> follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lipsomniac). ask questions on [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.qa/lipsomniac). support my writing on [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/lipsomniac).


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